L  I  B  Tl  ^4l  R  Y 

OF    TJtE 

Theological    Seminary, 

■-PRINCETON,     N.    J. 


CW.b-r  Division^ 

Shelf  Section^.lA<.?<!l 

^^^''^'      Nq 


/^f  ,^,    "^nyJb^tA. 


Vi^v-XS 


/^    -rS^^ 


'^ 


.V^  ^^ 


h   >%N^\fc\4 


^^.^tt^tt^^M^ 


THE 

GENERAL  HISTORY 


or 


THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

PKOM 

HER    BIRTH 

TO 

HER  FINAL  TRIUMPHANT  STATE  IN  HEAVEN: 

CHIEFLY  DEDUCED  FROM 

THE  APOCALYPSE  OF  ST.  JOHN, 

THE  APOSTLE  AND  EVANGELIST. 

•  >    f 


BY    SIG.    PASTORINI. 


Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  heareth  the  words  of  this  prophecr.— uipoc.  i.  3. 


SECOND  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  DOYLE,  12  LIBERTY- STREET. 

STEREOTYPED  BY  CONNER  &  COOKE. 

1834. 


»>  >x 


THE  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


Notwithstanding  the  several  editions  of  Pastorini's 
commentary  on  the  Apocalypse,  the  work  is,  by  no  means, 
heavy  on  the  hands  of  the  booksellers.  It  may,  in  some  mea- 
sure, be  considered  out  of  print.  To  satisfy  a  prevalent  de- 
sire for  a  new  and  cheap  edition,  the  present  publication  has 
been  strongly  urged.  Perhaps  it  may  be  advanced,  without 
the  imputation  of  heated  fancy,  that  the  times,  and  "the  signs 
of  the  times,"  we  live  in,  seem  to  add  a  peculiarly  new  interest 
to  this  rare  and  celebrated  production. 

The  author's  views  of  the  awful  prophecies,  mysteries  and 
judgments  contained  in  the  sacred  volume,  from  which  he  has 
undertaken  to  illustrate  the  General  History  of  the  Church, 
have  o|^ated  variously,  as  in  course  they  must,  upon  various 
dispositions.  In  many  minds  they  confirmed  the  old  faith. 
In  some  they  disturbed,  or  subverted  new  opinions.  In  some 
they  excited,  or  seemed  to  excite,  anger  and  ridicule.  But, 
generally,  they  have  been  considered  ingenious,  interesting, 
and  highly  edifying.  His  admonitions  are  evidently  directed 
by  a  spirit  of  charity,  pure  and  universal — and  his  illustra- 
tions of  the  sublime  text  before  him  exhibited  a  mind,  uncom- 
monly gifted  with  intuition,  assiduity,  and  deep  and  discern- 
ing research.  He  seems  to  have  sensibly  apprehended  that 
some  of  the  dreadful  scourges,  menaced  in  the  Revelations, 
were  soon  to  fall  on  criminal  and  unrepenting  nations — and 
he  forewarns  all  Christians  to  strive,  by  sincere  repentance,  to 
avert,  if  possible,  the  impending  judgment,  or  at  least,  to  be 
prepared  for  its  awful  visitations. 

Sensible  of  the  precision  and  brevity  of  the  inspired  writer 


4  PREFACE, 

of  the  Apocalypse,  our  author  examines  every  word  with 
scrupulous  care,  and  turns  his  text  on  every  side,  in  order  to 
ascertain  its  true  meaning.  Unlike  former  commentators,  he 
confines  not  his  views  to  the  early  ages  of  the  Church,  but 
traces  the  divine  economy  in  her  regard  from  her  foundation, 
through  every  succeeding  period,  to  the  end  of  time  and  her 
final  triumphant  introduction  into  heaven.  For  this  arduous 
undertaking  his  station,  talents,  and  learning,  had  eminently 
fitted  him. 

The  first  edition  of  the  present  commentary  on  the  book  of 
Revelations  appeared  about  the  year  1776.  It  was  soon  bought 
up — and  after  much  solicitation,  the  author  consented  to  the 
preparation  of  a  second  edition,  with  additional  remarks. 

Although  no  pains  were  particularly  taken  by  the  author 
or  his  friends  to  extend  the  circulation  of  the  work,  it  soon 
found  its  way  into  foreign  countries.  A  French  translation 
of  it  was  published  in  1778;  shortly  after  it  appeared  in 
Latin;  in  1785  it  was  translated  into  German ;  and  a  few  years 
ago,  an  Italian  version  was  sent  to  the  public.  Of  the  high 
repute,  which  this  noted  production  has  obtained  in  other  coun- 
tries, we  may  judge  by  the  following  extract  from  on#  of  the 
periodical  works  of  the  learned  Abbe  Feller,  published  in 
1786:— 

^'  Signior  Pastorinfs  work  is  the  only  good  comment,  which 
England  has  produced  or  the  Apocalypse — and  the  nation  is 
much  indebted  to  him,  for  having  contributed  to  put  down  the 
extravagant  notions  of  James  I.  and  of  the  celebrated  Newton, 
concerning  this  divine  book.  It  is  a  learned  and  edifying  per- 
formance, in  which  theology  and  ecclesiastical  history  reflect 
valuable  lights  on  the  most  mysterious  of  the  sacred  writings. 
The  wonderful  prophecies  it  contains,  realized  as  they  are  by 
striking,  authentic,  and  public  facts,  inspire  the  christian  soul 
with  hope  and  fortitude,  and  give  solemn  testimony  to  the 
power  and  veracity  of  God.  What  remains  as  yet  undisclosed 
is  already  manifesting  itself  in  a  sensible  manner — and  the 
times  we  live  in  are  furnishing  a  faithful  and  lively  picture.^'' 


PREFACE.  5 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  the  former  editors  of  the  work  have 
hut  too  poorly  sketched  their  author's  biography.  They  do 
not  even  mention  his  name — nor  do  they  recollect  to  tell  us, 
that  the  appellation  of  Pastorini  is  merely  significant  of  his 
ministry.  This  neglect  gave  occasion  to  a  new  display  of  the 
inventive  faculties  of  Sir  Richard  Musgrave,  in  what  he  is 
pleased  to  call,  jocosely  we  should  think,  his  History  of  the 
different  Rebellions  in  Ireland.  That  famous  historia7h  calls 
the  present  work  a  translation — 'Ht  was,''^  he  says,  ''written 
originally/  at  Rome  by  a  sanguinary  bigot  of  the  name  of  Pas- 
torini /"  There  is  a  species  of  censure,  which  has  all  the 
value  of  praise.  The  work  was  originally  written  in  Eng- 
land, in  the  English  language,  and  by  an  Englishman,  under 
the  assumed  signature  of  Pastorini.  It  is  not  a  translation — 
it  is  the  original  text.  The  author  is  the  Right  Rev.  Charles 
Walmesley,  D.  D.  Catholic  Bishop,  or  Vicar  Apostolic,  of 
the  Western  District  (in  England) — Fellow  of  the  Royal  Socie- 
ties of  London  and  Berlin — and  one  of  the  scientific  men  em- 
ployed in  correcting  the  old  style.  This  pious,  and  venerable 
divine  was  not  "  a  sanguinary  bigot."  The  whole  tenor  of 
his  life  and  writings  proves,  that  he  was  a  most  mild  and  en- 
lightened member  of  the  Christian  communion.  The  work 
before  us  abundantly  establishes  this  character.  Sir  R.  Mus- 
grave calls  it  "apiece  of  folly  and  blasphemy."  Dr.  Milner, 
a  better  judge,  calls  it  "  a  most  ingenious  and  learned  exposi- 
tion of  the  book  of  revelations,  calculated,  he  says,  in  his  reply 
to  the  author  of  the  different  Rebellions,  &c.  to  excite  all 
Christians  to  lead  a  holy  life,  and  to  prepare  for  the  coming  of 
that  awful  Judge,  before  whom  Sir  Richard  Musgrave  will  be 
arraigned  for  his  unprecedented  malice  and  calumnies."* 

The  present  publisher,  after  many  solicitous  inquiries,  finds 
himself  destitute  of  materials  for  a  satisfactory  biographical 
sketch  of  the  distinguished  individual,  whose  work  he  under- 
takes to  re-commit  to  the  press.  The  following  is  all  that  he 
has  been  able  to  collect. 

♦  An  inquiry  into  certain  vulgar  opinions  &e.  p.  83— 2nd  Edit.  London. 
1* 


6  PREFACE. 

Dr.  Walmesley  was  born  in  the  year  1721,  in  some  part  of 
England.  With  his  parentage  we  are  not  made  particularly 
acquainted — ^but,  we  may  presume  on  its  respectability,  on  ac- 
count of  the  high  literary  accomplishments  which  had  been 
bestowed  on  him  early  in  life.  Gifted  with  abilities  of  the  first 
order,  and  with  a  heart  formed  for  piety  and  virtue,  he  dedicated 
himself,  at  an  early  period  of  his  youth,  to  the  study  and  prac- 
tice of  religion.  His  attainments  in  sacred  literature,  and  in 
mathematical  and  astronomical  investigations,  soon  became  con- 
spicuous. The  former  obtained  for  him  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Divinity  in  the  University  of  Paris.  At  the  age  of  thirty- 
five,  he  was  elevated  to  the  episcopal  dignity.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  learned  corfgregation  of  Benedictins.  His  valu- 
able contributions  to  the  Philosophical  Transactions  in  the 
years  1745,  6,  7,  &c. — and  his  joint  labours  in  correcting  the 
old  style  in  1752,  exhibit,  altogether,  very  ample  proofs  of  his 
mathematical  learning.  Before  his  return  to  England,  on  the 
close  of  his  collegiate  course,  he  visited  many  parts  of  the  Con- 
tinent. During  his  travels,  he  wrote  several  learned  tracts. 
To  the  loss,  however,  of  the  literary  world,  his  manuscripts 
were  unfortunately  consumed  by  the  fire,  which  broke  out  at 
Bath,  some  years  since.  In  that  city  he  died,  in  the  76th  year 
of  his  age,  and  40th  of  his  episcopacy,  having  serenely  closed 
a  holy  life,  which  gave  fresh  odour  to  sanctity, — and  new  lustre 
to  virtue,  to  religion,  and  to  learning. 


THE    AUTHOR'S    INTRODUCTION. 


The  Book  of  the  Apocalypse,  according  to  that  learned  in- 
terpreter of  the  Scriptures,  St.  Jerom,  "  contains  an  infinite 
number  of  mysteries  relating  to  future  times."  Lib.  L  contra 
Jovin.  "  The  Apocalypse,"  says  St.  Austin,  "is  a  prophecy 
of  what  is  to  happen  from  the  first  coming  of  Christ  upon 
earth,  to  his  second  coming  at  the  last  day."  De.  Civ.  Dei.  1, 
2.  c.  8.  Some  modern  writers  hold  the  same  opinion.  Besides 
these  authorities,  our  own  study  of  that  mysterious  book,  dili- 
gently pursued,  has  entirely  prevailed  on  us  to  espou«)Cthe  same 
sentiments.  The  Apocalypse  exhibits,  in  general,  a  summary 
of  the  whole  history  of  the  Christian  Church,  from  the  date 
of  its  birth  to  its  triumphant  and  glorious  state  in  Heaven  after 
the  close  of  time.  This  is  the  foundation  of  the  present  work, 
and  we  hope  the  attentive  reader,  when  he  has  considered  the 
whole,  will  approve  our  sentiments  and  applaud  our  endea- 
vours. He  may  perhaps  then  join  us  in  thinking,  that  the 
celebrated  commentators,  Bossuet  and  Calmet,  have  too  much 
contracted  this  admirable  Prophecy  by  confining  the  contents 
to  so  short  a  period  as  the  four  first  centuries  of  the  Christian 
sera,  and  applying  the  whole,  except  the  two  last  chapters,  to 
the  persecutions  which  the  Church  suflTered  from  the  pagaij 
Roman  Emperors,  and  to  the  destruction  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire. For  this  reason,  the  two  above-mentioned  authors  have 
often  been  obliged  to  wrest  the  text,  and  give  it  a  forced  and  im- 
probable explication,  to  bring  it  within  their  system.  On  the 
same  account,  they  have  derogated  from  the  dignity  and  pre- 
cision of  that  prophecy,  by  applying  several  texts  to  the  same 
event ;  whereas,  whoever  looks  attentively  into  the  tenor  of  the 
Apocalypse,  will  perceive  that  St.  John's  precision  and  brevity 
are  such,  that  he  never  repeats  the  same  thing. 

For  the  unfolding  of  the  different  parts  of  the  Apocalypse, 
we  have  followed,  in  general,  the  plan  laid  down  by  Mr.  De 
la  Chetardie  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  as  it  has  since 
been  improved  by  a  late  French  commentator  on  the  scrip- 
ture. It  consists  in  a  division  of  the  whole  Christian  eera,  to 
the  end  of  time,  into  seven  Ages,  corresponding  to  the  seven 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

Seals,  seven  Trumpets,  and  seven  Vials  mentioned  in  the  Apo- 
calypse ;  so  that  to  each  belong  a  Seal,  Trumpet,  and  Vial. 
But  in  the  application  of  the  Prophecies  contained  under  these 
Seals,  Trumpets,  and  Vials,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
Apocalypse,  we  have  frequently  deviated  from  the  above-named 
writers,  to  substitute  what  we  thought  a  more  genuine  expli- 
cation. It  must  then  be  observed,  that  an  age  and  a  century 
must  not  here  be  taken  for  synonymous  terms  ;  but  by  an  age 
in  this  history  we  shall  understand  one  of  the  seven  divisions 
of  time  above-mentioned;  neither  are  these  divisions  of  time 
equal. 

From  the  preceding  observations  it  follows,  that  Christ  di- 
vides the  history  of  his  Church  into  seven  periods,  in  each  of 
which  he  describes  three  different  sorts  of  transactions  under 
the  respective  Seal,  Trumpet,  and  Vial.  The  Lamb  holds  a 
book  sealed  Avith  seven  Seals,  which  he  opens  one  after  ano- 
ther. This  book  contains  the  history  of  the  formation  and 
propagation  of  Christ's  Church,  together  with  the  opposition 
made  to  the  establishment  of  it;  and  apart  of  this  account  is 
disclosed  at  the  opening  of  each  Seal.  To  every  Seal  corres- 
ponds a  Trumpet,  which  is  sounded  by  an  angel.  The  sound 
of  a  trumpet  naturally  indicates  an  alarm,  and  such  is  the  na- 
ture of  the  Trumpets  in  the  Apocalypse.  They  always  an- 
nounce events  that  are  alarming  to  the  Church,  such  as  per- 
secutions, intestine  convulsions  occasioned  by  heretics,  &c. 
After  the  Trumpets  follow  the  Vials  of  the  wrath  of  God. 
These  convey  the  punishments  which  Christ  inflicts  on  the 
enemies  of  his  people.  Hence  it  appears  that  the  Seals,  Trum- 
pets, and  Vials,  unfold  the  three  kinds  of  events,  which  dis- 
tinguish each  age  of  the  Christian  Church.  One  may  re- 
mark in  the  history  of  the  Jews,  that  nearly  the  same  sort  of 
economy  was  observed  in  the  divine  dispensations  towards 
that  people.  They  were  favoured  with  the  special  assistance 
of  God,  but  they  had  also  their  trials,  persecutions,  &c.  and 
at  other  times  they  saw  their  enemies  laid  prostrate  by  the  di- 
vine hand  before  them. 

When  almighty  God  thinks  fit  to  reveal  future  events,  he 
generally  expresses  them  in  obscure  terms  that  leave  the  mean- 
ing more  or  less  uncertain.  This  seems  to  be  done  in  order 
to  prevent  the  daring  presumption  of  some  men,  who  might 
attempt,  if  the  prophecies  were  clear,  to  obstruct  and  hinder 
their  accomplishment.  Others  of  mankind  of  a  more  timo- 
rous disposition,  would  be  alarmed  and  over  much  terrified  at 
disasters  which  they  foresaw  were  impending  upon  them.  On 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

another  hand,  if  futurity  was  clearly  foretold,  it  might  seem 
to  intrench  upon  that  liberty,  which  God  had  been  pleased  to 
grant  to  man,  of  directing  his  own  conduct  and  actions.  For 
these  reasons,  the  generality  of  prophecies  are  covered  with 
a  veil  of  darkness  and  uncertainty.  Obscurity  is  therefore  a 
general  characteristic  of  prophecy,  but  it  is  peculiarly  so  of 
the  Apocalypse,  as  every  commentator  has  acknowledged. 
This  book  appears  at  first  sight  impenetrable.  Let  any  one 
dip  into  it  without  having  a  key  to  open  to  him  the  meaning, 
and  he  will  see  nothing  but  a  continued  series  of  the  most 
mysterious  enigmas.  Hence  it  has  happened  that  so  many 
different  explanations  have  been  invented.  But  the  same  ob- 
scurity was  the  occasion,  that  the  ancient  Fathers  were  so 
sparing  in  their  interpretations  of  this  prophecy.  They  have 
here  and  there  explained  a  particular  passage,  without  attempt- 
ing the  whole,  and  sometimes  only  given  a  moral  exposition 
of  it.  But  in  this  we  need  not  wonder,  because  as  the  Apo- 
calypse is  the  history  of  Christ's  Church  through  the  whole 
time  of  its  existence,  so  few  events  had  happened  when  they 
wrote,  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  book  must  have  appeared 
to  them  inexplicable.  Hence  we  see  the  advantage  of  the  pre- 
sent times  for  unravelling  the  mysteries  of  the  Apocalypse, 
when  so  considerable  a  share  of  them  has  been  fulfilled. 
Whoever  looks  back  into  the  history  of  the  Church,  and 
compares  attentively  the  facts  with  the  expressions  of  St.  John, 
will  see  a  distinct  analogy  and  connexion  between  them.  It 
must  however  be  allowed,  there  remain  yet  very  many  obscu- 
rities, which  if  we  have  not  always  sufficiently  cleared,  we 
hope  the  indulgent  reader  will  consider  the  difficulty  and  ex- 
cuse the  defect. 

The  principal  help  for  removing  the  obscurities  of  the 
xlpocalypse  arises  from  a  right  understanding  of  its  general 
tendency.  If  a  wrong  system  be  adopted,  the  difficulty  of  re- 
conciling the  different  parts  of  the  prophecy  become  insuper- 
able :  and  this  has  appeared  fully  in  the  attempts  of  several 
interpreters.  But  when  the  plan  of  the  book  is  discovered 
and  ascertained,  the  difficulties  decrease  and  the  obscurities 
gradually  disappear.  Thus  a  surprising  light  breaks  in  upon 
the  Apocalypse,  when  we  view  it  as  the  History  of  Christ's 
Church  divided  into  seven  periods  or  ages,  as  we  have  above 
explained.  A  second  means  of  removing  difficulties  is,  the 
taking  notice  of  the  order  of  the  different  parts  that  compose 
this  prophetic  book.  St.  John  gives  all  the  seals  together, 
then  all  the  trumpets,  and  lastly  the  vials  in  the  same  manner. 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

Under  the  seven  seals  a  series  of  transactions  is  related  which 
belong  to  the  seven  successive  ages  of  the  Church,  and  which 
terminate  with  the  great  day  of  judgment.  The  same  course 
is  observed  in  the  trumpet  and  the  vials.  But  we  must  how- 
ever remark,  that,  after  finishing  with  the  trumpets,  he  does 
not  proceed  immediately  to  the  vials :  nevertheless  he  ob- 
serves the  same  rule,  namely,  in  returning,  after  the  seventh 
trumpet,  to  relate  a  new  series  of  events,  but  which  are  con- 
fined to  the  first,  third,  sixth,  and  seventh  ages ;  these  ages 
being  the  most  interesting  to  the  Church,  as  the  three  first  of 
them  exhibit  the  history  of  idolatry,  and  the  last  or  seventh 
relates  to  the  general  judgment.  This  narrative  is  given  in 
the  chapters  xii.  xiii.  xiv.  and  as  it  is  joined  to  that  of  the 
trumpets,  it  partakes  of  the  nature  of  them,  that  is,  it  describes 
events  that  are  alarming  to  the  Church,  with  the  addition 
however  of  some  incidents  or  promises  that  administer  com- 
fort in  those  alarming  circumstances. 

The  prophet,  having  thus  carried  us  on  to  the  end  of  time, 
begins  again  with  the  first  age,  and  rehearses  under  the  seven 
vials,  in  chap.  xv.  xvi.  a  new  course  of  transactions  that  runs 
through  all  the  seven  ages.  This  narrative  being  terminated, 
he  returns  back,  as  he  had  done  after  the  account  of  the  trum- 
pets, to  a  new  course  of  history,  relating  to  the  first,  third,  sixth, 
and  seventh  ages,  beginning  at  chap.  xvii.  and  ending  with 
verse  10th  of  chap.  xix.  This  piece  of  history  is  of  such  a 
nature  as  agrees  with  that  of  the  vials  to  which  it  is  joined, 
that  is,  it  is  a  rehearsal  of  divine  punishments ;  to  which  are 
annexed  exultations  on  these  victories  of  Christ  over  his  ene- 
mies. This  being  done,  the  prophet,  according  to  his  custom, 
begins  again  a  new  narrative  of  events,  of  the  same  nature  as 
the  preceding-,  and  which  also  belong  to  those  interesting 
ages,  the  first,  third,  sixth  and  seventh.  This  narrative  begins 
at  verse  11th  of  chap.  xix.  and  continues  to  the  end  of  chap. 
XX.  Finally,  the  two  last  chapters  conclude  the  prophecy,  with 
an  account  of  the  other  world,  as  it  will  be  after  the  close  of 
all  time.  Hence  then  appears  the  order  observed  in  this  in- 
comparable prophecy  of  the  Apocalypse.  As  the  whole  His- 
tory of  the  Church,  therein  contained,  is  divided  into  seven 
Ages,  so  it  is  related,  not  indeed  all  that  part  together  which 
belongs  to  each  age,  but  in  seven  diflferent  series  of  events,  six 
of  which  reach  from  the  first  age  to  the  last  day,  and  the 
seventh  is  the  description  of  the  next  world.  The  first  of  these 
series  is  given  under  the  seals,  the  second  under  the  trumpets; 
the  third  in  the  chapters  xii.  xiii.  xiv.  the  fourth  under  the 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

vials ;  the  fifth  in  chapters  xvii.  xviii.  and  part  of  chapter  xix. ; 
the  sixth  in  the  rest  of  chapter  xix.  and  in  chapter  xx. ;  and 
the  seventh  in  chapters  xxi.  and  xxii.  This  sevenfold  divi- 
sion is  conformable  to  the  constant  use  made  in  the  Apo- 
calypse of  that  mysterious  number  seven,  as,  of  seven  seals, 
seven  trumpets,  seven  vials,  seven  churches,  seven  candle- 
sticks, seven  spirits,  &c. 

It  is  plain  from  this  disposition  of  the  plan  of  the  Apocalypse, 
tliat  it  is  necessary  to  transpose  many  things  in  order  to  form 
a  regular  narration :  for,  as  St.  John  so  often  travels  through 
the  whole  period  of  the  Christian  sera,  at  each  time  relating 
only  a  part  of  the  transactions,  we  are  obliged  to  collect  from 
different  parts  of  the  book  all  those  facts  that  belong  to  the 
same  age.  And  we  may  observe,  that  the  prophet  is  the  most 
copious  upon  four  of  the  seven  ages,  viz.  the  first,  third,  sixth, 
and  seventh,  as  being  the  most  interesting  to  the  Church,  and 
most  remarkable  for  their  transactions. 

Another  help  which  we  found  for  clearing  up  obscurities 
was,  a  very  strict  attention  to  the  tenor  of  the  text.  The  ex- 
traordinary nicety  in  the  expressions,  the  sudden  change  of 
tense  in  the  verbs,  of  number  in  the  nouns,  general  words 
used  in  particular  senses,  the  addition  or  omission  of  a  word, 
with  several  such  circumstances,  are  of  great  consequence  for 
discovering  the  true  sense,  and  have  not  been  by  the  generality 
of  interpreters  sufficiently  attended  to  ;  which  indeed  we  may 
not  wonder  at,  as  such  minute  particularities  are  not  generally 
expected,  and  there  never  has  been  seen  a  book  written  with 
that  comprehensive  precision  and  exact  nicety  which  are  ob- 
servable in  the  Apocalypse.  *    ■ 

In  composing  this  work  we  have  freely  made  use  of  other 
authors,  where  we  liked  their  opinions  ;  and  we  hope  to  incur 
no  censure,  when  on  other  occasions  we  have  substituted  our 
own. — Some  few  passages  of  the  Apocalypse  have  been  gene- 
rally understood  in  the  same  sense  by  all  the  ancient  fathers 
of  the  Church  and  modern  Cathofic  interpreters ;  to  these  we 
have  scrupulously  adhered,  and  founded  our  interpretation  on 
their  testimony.  In. other  places,  where  former  writers  took 
the  liberty  of  interpreting  and  differed  in  their  expositions,  we 
have  likewise  thought  it  lawful  to  use  the  same  liberty.  We 
hope  for  indulgence,  if  in  some  few  instances  we  appear  to 
have  applied  the  text  of  the  ancient  prophets  to  what  they  have 
not  usually  been  applied.  This  freedom,  we  presume,  is  al- 
lowable, when  the  sense  of  the  texts  has  never  been  fully  set- 
tled.    And  here  we  cannot  but  remark  that,  whoever  will  take 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

the  pains  to  study  the  Apocalypse,  we  apprehend  he  will  per- 
ceive that  it  throws  a  new  light  upon  several  dark  passages 
of  the  ancient  prophets.  Besides,  it  must  be  observed,  that  a 
prophecy  is  not  always  confined  to  one  object,  but  often  re- 
lates both  to  the  figure  of  a  thing  and  to  the  thing  itself,  and 
consequently  has  two  accomplishments,  the  one  inadequate  and 
in  part  only,  the  other  complete  and  perfect.  How  often,  for 
example,  is  the  same  scriptural  text  applied  in  an  imperfect 
sense  to  David  or  Solomon,  which  is  fully  completed  in  Christ, 
of  whom  they  were  figures  ?  Thus  also  the  return  of  the 
Jews  from  the  Babylonic  captivity  may  be  deemed  a  figure  of 
their  return  from  a  much  longer  captivity  in  the  latter  period 
of  the  world,  and  both  may  be  intimated  together  by  the  pro- 
phets :  and  so  of  other  instances.  On  these  grounds  a  text, 
that  has  been  generally  applied  to  the  figure,  we  have  some- 
times transferred  to  the  thing  itself,  to  show  its  full  and  ulti- 
mate completion.  That  part  of  the  Apocalypse,  which  gives 
the  prophetic  history  of  past  ages,  we  have  illustrated  with  the 
real  history  of  those  times,  that  the  accomplishment  may  clear- 
ly appear.  If  we  have  not  always  mentioned  our  vouchers, 
it  is  because  we  thought  it  unnecessary  in  the  case  of  such 
short  abstracts  of  history,  especially  as  they  are  taken  from 
the  well  known  ecclesiastic  historians  of  the  times.  In  regard 
to  the  text  of  the  Apocalypse,  we  have  made  use  of  the  com- 
monly known  English  translation  made  from  the  Latin  vul- 
gate ;  at  the  same  time  taking  notice  of  any  difference,  worth 
observing,  between  the  translation  and  the  original  Greek.  In 
fine,  we  here  make  our  acknowledgments  to  those  friends 
whom  we  have  consulted,  and  who  have  assisted  us  in  disco- 
vering and  unfolding  the  mysterious  senses  of  the  Apocalypse. 
As  to  the  time  when  this  prophecy  was  delivered  to  St 
John,  it  is  generally  understood  to  have  been  in  the  year  95  or 
96  of  the  Christian  sera.  This  holy  Apostle,  after  being  im- 
mersed in  a  caldron  of  boiling  oil  at  Rome,  from  which  he 
came  out  unhurt,  was  banished  by  the  emperor  Domitianinto 
the  isle  of  Patmos  in  the  Egean  Sea  or  Archipelago,  where, 
as  we  learn  from  himself,  Apoc.  i.  9.  he  was  favoured  with  this 
most  admirable  and  most  comprehensive  of  all  prophecies. 
*'  St.  John  was  a  prophet,"  says  St.  Jerom,  "  because  being  in 
the  isle  of  Patmos,  whither  he  had  been  exiled  for  the  faith  by 
the  emperor  Domitian,  he  received  the  Apocalypse  or  a  reve- 
lation containing  an  infinite  number  of  mysteries  appertain- 
ing to  future  times."  Lib.  I.  contra  Jovin.  He  always  enjoyed 
a  superior  share  in  the  affections  of  his  divine  Master,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

among'  many  proofs  of  it,  he  was  indulged  with  this  singular 
and  extraordinary  favour,  not  granted  to  any  of  the  other  apos- 
tles. This  most  instructive  book  we  cannot  but  earnestly  re- 
commend to  every  Christian,  and  we  hope  our  recommenda- 
tion will  have  the  more  weight,  as  it  is  grounded  on  the  words 
of  the  divine  book  itself:  "  Blessed  is  he,  that  readeth  and 
heareth  the  words  of  this  prophecy;  and  keepeth  those  things 
which  are  written  in  it,"  Apoc.  i.  3.  The  obscurity,  which 
covers  the  Apocalypse,  has  been  the  occasion  of  its  having 
been  so  little  attended  to.  We  have  therefore  attempted  to  re- 
move that  obstacle :  but  if  we  have  not  totally  succeeded,  we 
plead  indulgence  from  the  difficulty  of  explaining  a  prophecy 
so  sublime,  and  the  most  mysterious  that  is  extant.  Besides 
the  advantage  resulting  from  a  general  survey  of  the  history 
of  the  Church,  another  motive  for  attending  to  the  Apocalypse, 
is  the  particular  interest  every  Christian  must  take  in  that  part 
of  the  history,  which  relates  to  the  present  time,  and  those 
scenes  which  are  approaching.  Much  instruction  may  be 
drawn  from  the  present  state  of  the  Church,  as  described  by 
our  prophetic  writer,  and  caution  ought  to  be  the  result  for 
what  we  find  is  to  happen  hereafter.  If  God  reveals  to  us 
mysteries,  it  is  for  our  instruction:  if  he  discloses  to  us  future 
events,  doubtless  he  does  it  to  give  us  warning  to  prepare  for 
them.  This  kind  of  economy  almighty  God  observed  towards 
mankind  from  the  beginning,  that  in  consequence  of  such  pre- 
vious admonitions,  his  faithful  servants  should  withdraw 
themselves  from  approaching  calamities,  while  the  wicked 
might  impute  to  their  own  obstinacy  the  punishments  that  fell 
upon  them.  This  bountiful  administration  of  Providence  ap- 
peared very  conspicuous  in  favour  of  the  Jews,  who  were 
generally  forewarned  by  the  prophets  of  the  great  events  that 
concerned  them.  The  same  course  we  find  the  Almighty  has 
pursued  in  the  Christian  age  of  the  world.  He  has  not  in- 
deed sent  a  succession  of  prophets  as  he  did  to  the  Jews.  The 
only  considerable  prophet  Christianity  can  claim  is  St.  John 
the  apostle ;  but  then  he  as  far  excels  any  one  of  the  ancient 
prophets,  as  his  Apocalypse  contains  more  m.atter,  and  com- 
prises a  larger  field  of  history.  He  grasps  the  whole  period 
of  Christianity.  He  describes  the  birth  of  Christ's  Spouse, 
his  Church,  and  gradually  conducts  her  through  her  .whole 
progress,  till  she  arrives  at  ihe  full  possession  of  her  Lord  in 
everlasting  glory  and  bliss.  The  finger  of  God  appears 
plainly  stamped  upon  the  book  of  the  Apocalypse,  it  so  far  ex- 
ceeds the  reach  of  human  composition.  The  divine  pen  is 
2 


14  INTRODUCTION, 

visible  in  every  line,  as  each  sentence  is  apparently  written 
with  such  precision  and  accuracy,  that  a  word  cannot  be  added 
or  retrenched  without  derogating  from  the  sense.  The  figures 
and  allegories  here  employed  are  truly  sublime,  grand,  and 
beautiful,  and  closely  adapted  in  all  their  parts  to  the  subject. 
Some  of  them  are  borrowed  from  the  ancient  prophets,  but 
heightened  by  superior  strokes.  St.  John's  subject,  the  history 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  as  it  surpasses  in  dignity  the  object  of 
all  preceding  prophecies,  so  he  exhibits  it  in  colours  that  out- 
shine all  former  prophetic  descriptions.  This  kingdom  of 
Christ,  the  greatest  of  all  kingdoms,  and  his  government  of 
it,  the  most  perfect  of  all  governments,  are  described  in  a  style 
proportionably  exalted.  The  ancient  prophets  announced  the 
orders  and  instructions  they  received  from  God,  and  were  only 
favoured  with  visions  in  some  particular  cases :  but  the  be- 
loved disciple  of  Christ,  not  only  receives  from  his  Lord  the 
verbal  account  he  delivers,  but  is  admitted  to  see  transacted 
before  him  every  scene  of  the  history  which  he  writes.  Again^ 
the  ancient  prophets  chiefly  confined  their  accounts  to  the 
temporal  transactions  of  kingdoms  ;  but  St.  John,  after  giving 
the  history  of  the  Christian  Church,  for  the  whole  time  of 
her  existence  in  this  world,  describes  her  future  triumphant 
state  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  the  period  of  which  will  be 
equal  to  that  of  eternity.  Besides,  the  picture  which  he  there 
gives  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  is  drawn  with  such  exqui- 
site art,  is  painted  with  such  striking  colours,  and  enriched 
with  such  charming  scenes,  and  with  such  a  collection  of  the 
choicest,  the  most  valuable,  and  the  most  shining  objects  in  na- 
ture, that  the  w^hole  surpasses  greatly  whatever  human  con- 
ception is  capable  of  imagining  or  combining  together.  Such 
then  being  the  extent,  the  usefulness,  and  the  excellence  of  the 
prophecy  delivered  in  the  Apocalypse,  what  can  be  more  cu- 
rious or  interesting  than  a  history  founded  upon  it  ? 


THE 

GENERAL  HISTORY 


OF    THE 


CHRISTIAN    CHURCH: 

DIVIDED  INTO  SEVEN  AGES, 


AND    DEDUCED    CHIEFLY   FHOM   THE 

APOCALYPSE. 


O'  Before  we  enter  upon  this  prophetic  History,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
explain  the  first  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse,  as  it  contains  the  Preface  to 
the  whole  book, — and,  on  that  account,  is  essential  to  the  present  work. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Explication  of  the  first  Chapter  of  the  Apocalypse. 

Verse  1.  "  The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God 
gave  unto  him,  to  make  known  to  his  servants  the  things 
which  must  shortly  come  to  pass :  and  signified,  sending  by 
his  angel  to  his  servant  John. 

V.  2.  "Who  hath  given  testimony  to  the  word  of  God, 
and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  what  things  soever  he  hath 
seen." 

We  are  here  informed  that  the  book  of  the  Apocalypse  is  a 
Revelation,  which  Jesus  Christ,  as  Man-God,  received  from 
CTod :  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  disclose  to  his  servants,  the 
Christians,  a  series  of  events  very  interesting  to  them,  and 
which  must  shortly  come  to  pass.  This  revelation  Jesus 
Christ  communicates  by  the  channel  of  his  angel,  whom  he 
sends  to  deliver  it  to  his  servant  John.  The  character  here 
given  to  this  servant  John  shows  him  to  be  the  Apostle  St. 
John  ;  for  he  is  here  said  to  have  given  testimony  to  the  word 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

of  God,  by  his  preaching  and  suffering  for  the  cause  of  God, 
and  to  have  also  given  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  bearing 
witness  to  what  things  soever  he  had  seen  of  his  divine  Mas- 
ter. And  this  account  of  him  coincides  with  what  St.  John 
says  of  himself  at  the  beginning  of  his  first  epistle ;  "  That 
which  we  have  heard,"  says  he,  "  which  we  have  seen  with 
our  eyes,  which  we  have  looked  upon,  and  our  hands  have 
handled,  of  the  word  of  life — we  declare  unto  you." 

We  have  said  that  it  was  Christ  who  signified  or  notified 
this  his  Revelation,  sending  it  by  his  angel ;  which  is  con- 
firmed by  what  he  himself  speaks  in  the  conclusion  of  the 
Apocalypse :  "  I  Jesus  have  sent  my  angel,  to  testify  to  you 
these  things  in  the  churches."  Apoc.  xxii.  16.  But  it  might 
be  equally  said,  that  God  himself  communicated  this  prophecy 
by  his  angel;  for  we  likewise  read:  "  The  Lord  God  of  the 
spirits  of  the  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  his  servants  the 
things  which  must  be  done  shortly,"  Apoc.  xxii.  6.  which 
words  are  quite  similar  to  those  above  of  verse  first.  How- 
ever, it  is  not  material  whether  to  God  or  to  Jesus  Christ  the 
communication  of  the  prophecy  be  ascribed,  when  we  con- 
sider the  divinity  of  Christ, 

Another  observation  we  must  here  make,  is  concerning  the 
angel  of  God  or  Christ,  who  is  sent  to  communicate  the  Apo- 
calypse to  St.  John.  He  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  real 
angel :  but  upon  close  examination  we  think  he  will  appear  to 
be  St.  John  the  Baptist.  This  personage  is  peculiarly  vested 
with  the  character  of  angel*  or  messenger  of  God  and  Christ, 
and  is  denominated  such  in  the  ancient  prophecies,  and  by 
Christ  himself: — "Behold  I  send  my  angel,"  said  the  Lord 
by  his  prophet  Malachy,  "  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  be- 
fore my  face,"  Mai.  iii.  1.  which  Christ  applies  to  his  precursor, 
St.  John  Baptist.  "  This  is  he,"  says  Christ,  "  of  whom  it  is 
written  :  Behold  I  send  my  angel  before  thy  fiice,  who  shall 
prepare  the  way  before  thee."  Mat.  xi.  10.  The  same  is  also 
confirmed  by  the  Baptist's  own  declaration:  "  I  am,"  says  he 
"the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  make  straight  the 
way  of  the  Lord,"  John  i.  23.  which  plainly  speaks  his  func- 
tion of  angel  or  messenger  of  Christ.  A  farther  proof  is  de- 
rived from  the  words  of  the  angel  himself,  who  thus  speaks  to 
St.  John  the  Apostle:  "I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy 
brethren  who  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus."  Apoc.  xix.  10.  And 
again,  "  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  pro 
phets,  and  of  them  that  keep  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this 

*  The  word  angel  signifies  messenger. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  17 

book."  Apoc.  xxii.  9.  This  languag-e,  it  is  clear,  cannot  be 
that  of  a  real  angel,  but  corresponds  very  justly  with  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Baptist,  who  had  been  a  fellow-servant  of  the  Apostle 
and  his  brethren  in  giving  testimony  to  Jesus,  &c.  A  function 
suitable  to  the  character  of  St.  John  the  Baptist ;  who,  as  he 
announced  Christ  and  showed  him  present  to  the  people ;  so 
here  he  announceth  and  showeth  to  St.  John  the  Apostle  the 
History  of  Christ  or  of  his  Church.  However,  as  the.  Apostle 
gives  to  St.  John  the  Baptist  the  name  of  angel,  perhaps  his 
form  and  appearance  were  such  on  this  occasion. 

V.  3.  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  heareth*  the  words  of 
this  prophecy :  and  keepeth  those  things  which  are  written  in 
it:  for  the  time  is  ai  hand."  We  are  here  assured  that  great 
is  the  advantage  of  attending  to  what  is  delivered  in  the  Apo- 
calypse ;  for  they  are  pronounced  blessed,  who  read  or  hear 
read  the  words  of  this  prophecy;  and  who  keep  the  things 
which  are  written  in  it,  that  is,  who  take  due  notice  of  the 
things  which  are  written  in  it,  in  order  to  compare  them  with 
what  is  already  fulfilled  by  real  events,  to  beware  of  what  is 
foretold  to  come,  and  to  draw  proper  instructions  from  both. 
These  prophecies  are  the  more  interesting,  as  the  time  is  at 
hand  for  the  accomplishment  of  some  of  them,  and  the  rest 
will  follow  in  their  order.  This  was  true  at  the  period  when 
St.  John  wrote,  and  will  be  equally  true  at  whatever  period  of 
time  the  Apocalypse  be  consulted,  as  some  part  of  its  prophetic 
history  will  always  be  near  the  time  of  its  accomplishment. 
It  might  likewise  be  said,  that  the  whole  would  happen  soon, 
with  allusion  to  the  shortness  of  all  time  when  compared  with 
the  eternal  existence  of  God,  according  to  that  of  St.  Peter : 
*'  One  day  with  the  Lord  is  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand 
years  as  one  day,"  2  Pet.  iii.  8.  and  that  of  the  Psalmist:  "A 
thousand  years  in  thy  sight,  are  but  as  yesterday,  which  is  past 
and  gone."  Psalm  Ixxxix.  4. 

V.  4.  "John  to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia, 
Grace  be  unto  you  and  peace  from  Him  that  is,  and  that  was, 
and  that  is  to  come ;  and  from  the  seven  spirits  which  are  be- 
fore his  throne." 

St.  John  addresses  the  seven  churches  of  lesser  Asia,  which 
he  governed,  and  which  will  be  specified  below,  ver.  1 1.  We 
shall  see  him  there  receive  an  order  to  send  them  this  pro- 
phecy. He  salutes  these  churches,  wishing  them  grace,  or 
benediction  and  peace  from  Him  who  is,  and  who  was,  and 
who  is  to  come ;  that  is,  from  Almighty  God,  who  exists  from 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  "  and  those  that  hear,"  &c. 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

all  eternity,  continues  to  exist,  will  remain  for  all  eternity,  and 
will  come  at  the  last  day  to  reward  his  faithful  servants,  and 
to  punish  the  wicked.  The  Apostle  offers  the  same  good 
wishes  from  the  seven  spirits  which  are  before  the  throne  of 
God,  always  ready  to  depart  and  execute  his  commands  with 
respect  to  mankind.  These  are  "  ministering  spirits,  sent  to 
minister  for  them  who  shall  receive  the  inheritance  of  salva- 
tion." Heb.  i.  14. 

V.  5.  "  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  faithful  witness, 
the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth  :  who  hath  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood. 

V.  6.  "And  hath  made  us  a  kingdom*  and  priests  to  God 
his  Father :  to  him  be  glory  and  empire  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen." 

St.  John  continues  his  salutation  to  the  seven  churches, 
wishing  them  grace  and  peace  from  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he 
entitles  the  faithful  witness,  as  having  given  testimony  to  his 
eternal  Father  upon  earth,  and  executed  faithfully  the  com- 
mission he  had  received  from  him.  He  is  also  the  first-be- 
gotten of  the  dead,  having  raised  himself  from  death  to  life 
by  his  own  power,  Avhich  no  man  ever  did  or  can  do,  nor  can 
any  man  rise  again  but  by  virtue  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
according  to  that  of  St.  Paul :  "  By  a  man  came  death,  and  by 
a  man  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  And  as  in  Adam  all  die, 
so  also  in  Christ  all  shall  be  made  alive."  1  Cor.  xv,  21,  22. 
Jesus  Christ  is  likewise  styled  the  prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth  not  only  as  God,  but  likewise  as  God-Man  having  ac- 
quired, by  the  merits  of  his  Incarnation,  a  sovereign  power 
on  earth.  On  that  account,  "  all  power  is  given  to  me,"  says 
Christ,  "in  heaven  and  in  earth."  Mat.  xxviii.  18.  And  again, 
*'  The  Father  hath  given  to  the  Son  power  to  do  judgment." 
Why  so?  "  Because  he  is  the  Son  of  man,"  John  v.  27.  Here 
we  see  ascertained  the  universal  dominion  of  Christ.  Then 
follow  the  gracious  effects  of  his  bounty  towards  ipankind ; 
for,  "  he  hath  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his 
own  blood;"  and  he  "  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  to  God 
and  his  Father,"  that  is,  he  hath  made  us  his  co-heirs,  and  has 
admitted  us  to  a  participation  of  his  own  sovereign  power 
over  the  world,  and  likewise  of  his  priesthood,  by  virtue  of 
which  we  become  also  "a  holy  priesthood,"  as  St.  Peter  says, 
"  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ."  1  Pet.  ii.  5.     This  communication  of  power  granted 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  "  made  us  kings." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  19 

by  Christ  to  his  servants,  by  which  they  become  kings  and 
priests,  will  chiefly  take  place  in  the  other  world  ;  and  it  is  not 
only  founded  on  the  present  text,  but  is  clear  from  our  Saviour's 
own  words :  "  I  dispose  to  you,"  says  he,  "  as  my  Father  has 
disposed  to  me,  a  kingdom  :  that  you  may  eat  and  drink  at  my 
table  in  my  kingdom,  and  may  sit  upon  thrones  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel"  Luke  xxii.  29,  30.  And  again,  "  To 
him  that  shall  overcome,  I  will  give  to  sit  with  me  on  my 
throne."  Apoc.  iii.  21.  To  Christ  therefore,  our  bountiful 
Saviour  and  gracious  benefactor,  be  glory  and  empire  for  ever 
and  ever.   Amen. 

V.  7.  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  the  clouds,  and  every  eye 
shall  see  him,  and  they  also  that  pierced  him.  And  all  the 
tribes  of  the  earth  shall  bewail  themselves  because  of  him. 
Even  so.  Amen." 

The  same  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  who  has  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood,  who  has 
chosen  us  and  made  us  kings  and  priests  to  God,  is  equally 
entitled  to  be  our  judge,  and  will  effectually  come  in  his  sove- 
reign power  at  the  last  day  to  Judge  the  world  ;  at  which  tinio- 
every  eye  shall  see  him ;  and  his  countenance  will  be  terrib.J 
to  those  who  pierced  him  and  crucified  him.  And  even  all 
the  tribes  of  the  earth,  or  the  people  of  all  nations  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  will  mourn  and  bewail  his  death,  being 
amazed  and  confounded  at  the  unparalleled  impiety  of  those 
men  who  crucified  him.  In  the  two  preceding  verse.s  were  de- 
scribed the  functions  which  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God 
made  man,  performed  upon  earth,  in  fulfilling  the  charge  he 
had  received  from  his  Father  in  redeeming  the  world,  &c. 
These  functions  we  see  here  completed  by  his  coming  at  the 
last  day  to  judge  mankind,  and  to  decree  their  rewards  and 
punishments. 

V.  8.  "lam  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come, 
th3  Almighty." 

Here  the  Almighty  himself  speaks :  I  am  Alpha  and  Ome- 
ga ;  Alpha  and  Omega  are  the  first  and  last  letters  of  the 
Greek  Alphabet,  the  meaning  of  which  in  this  place  is  ex- 
plained by  the  subsequent  words,  the  beginning  and  the  end. 
I  am,  says  Almighty  God,  the  beginning  and  end  of  every 
thing,  I  am  the  first  cause  and  last  end  of  all  beings.  I  am 
the  source,  from  which  every  thing  flows,  and  to  which  every 
thing  must  return.  I  created  the  world  by  my  power,  I  govern 
it  by  my  wisdom,  and  shall  put  an  end  to  it  at  my  pleasure.   I 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

am  he  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come,  the  Almighty. 
See  above,  ver.  4. 

Thus  we  see  the  two  great  personages,  who  here  preside 
through  the  Avhole  scene  of  the  Apocalypse,  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ.  They  are  placed  in  the  supreme  degree  of  eminence, 
and  are  clearly  distinguished  by  their  respective  titles  and  at- 
tributes. 

They  are  exhibited  as  the  Sovereign  rulers  of  the  universe, 
the  moderators  of  all  human  transactions.  And  thus  is  nobly 
ushered  in  the  prophetic  history,  which  begins  as  follows: 

V.  9.  "  I  John  your  brother  and  your  partner  in  tribulation, 
and  in  the  kingdom,  and  patience  in  Christ  Jesus,  was  in  the 
island,  which  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus. 

V.  10.  "I  was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day, and  heard  be- 
hind me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet, 

V.  11."  Saying,  what  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book  :  and  send 
to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia,  to  Ephesus,  and  to 
Smyrna,  and  to  Pergamus,  and  to  Thyatira,  and  to  Sardis,  and 
to  Philadelphia,  and  to  Laodicea." 

St.  John  here  informs  us,  that  he  had  shared  in  the  perse- 
cution and  tribulation,  which  were  common  to  the  Christians; 
that  he  was  partner  with  them  in  being  a  member  with  them 
of  the  body  of  Christians,  which  formed  the  kingdom  of  Jesus 
Christ.  By  the  orders  of  the  Emperor  Domitian,  St.  John,  as 
we  have  seen,  was  put  into  a  caldron  of  boiling  oil  at  Rome, 
which  he  bore  with  invincible  patience,  and  came  out  unhurt; 
after  which  he  was  banished  into  the  island  of  Patmos,  in  the 
Archipelago.  There  he  was  an  exile  for  the  word  of  God, 
for  having  preached  the  Avord  of  God  in  opposition  to  the  su- 
perstitions of  idolatry,  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  or  for 
having  borne  testimony  to  Christ,  by  confessing  publicly  his 
holy  name,  and  maintaining  his  doctrine.  He  was  there  in 
spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  or  Sunday,  which  being  sanctified  by 
the  great  mysteries  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  de- 
scent of  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  certainly  a  proper  day  for  re- 
ceiving this  important  revelation,  which  comprises  the  whole 
history  of  the  Christian  Church,  from  her  birth  to  her  final 
triumphant  state  in  heaven. 

He  then  proceeds  to  describe  the  manner  in  which  this  his- 
tory Avas  communicated  to  him :  And  I  heard  behind  me  a 
great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  saying,  what  thou  seest,  write  in 
a  book.  We  proved,  ver.  i.  p.  2.  that  this  prophecy  was  deli- 
vered to  the  Apostle  by  the  angel  of  Christ,  St.  John  Baptist: 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  21 

and  he  is  the  great  voice  like  that  of  a  trumpet,  which  here 
speaks  to  the  apostle ;  for  the  function  of  the  voice  on  this  oc ' 
casion  is  similar  to  that  which  the  Baptist  perform.ed  when  on 
earth.  He  then  announced,  as  with  the  voice  of  a  trumpet,  the 
coming  of  his  divine  Master  :  "  I  am  the  voice,"  says  he,  "  of 
one  crying  in  the  wilderness :  make  straight  the  way  of  the 
Lord."  John  i.  23.  In  like  manner  he  is  here  distinguished  by 
the  appellation  of  a  great  voice,  and  announces  what  is  and 
what  will  be  his  Master's  government  and  administration  of 
his  Church.  Besides,  we  read  in  verse  the  first  of  chap.  iv. 
of  the  Apocalypse :  "  The  first  voice  which  I  heard,  as  it  were 
of  a  trumpet  speaking  with  me,  said:  Come  up  hither  and  I 
will  show  thee  the  things  which  must  be  done  hereafter;" 
which  being  compared  to  verse  the  eighth  of  chap.  xxii.  "  After 
I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  adore  before  the  feet  of 
the  angel,  who  showed  me  these  things ;"  it  plainly  appears 
that  the  voice  and  the  angel  indicate  the  same  person,  viz.  St. 
John  Baptist.  This  observation  premised,  the  apostle  is  told: 
What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it  to  the  seven 
churches  which  are  in  Asia,  &c.  He  is  ordered  to  send  this 
book  of  the  Apocalypse  to  the  seven  Asiatic  churches  men- 
tioned in  the  text,  whence  it  was  circulated  over  the  christian 
world,  and  transmitted  down  to  us. 

V.  12.  "  And  I  turned,"  continues  St.  John,  "to  seethe  voice 
that  spoke  with  me :  and  being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden 
candlesticks. 

V.  13.  "  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks 
one  like  to  the  Son  of  Man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to 
the  feet,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle. 

V.  14.  "  And  his  head  and  his  hairs  were  white,  as  white 
wool,  and  as  snow:  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire. 

V.  15.  "  And  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  in  a  burning 
furnace;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters. 

V.  16.  "And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars.  And 
from  his  mouth  came  out  a  sharp  two-edged  sword  :  and  his 
face  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  power." 

St.  John,  in  looking  behind  him  to  see  the  voice  that  spoke 
to  him,  is  surprised  by  the  appearance  of  a  remarkable  scene: 
Seven  golden  candlesticks  standing,  and  in  the  midst  of  them 
a  person  resembling  the  Son  of  Man,  or  Christ,  clothed  with 
a  long  garment  down  to  the  feet,  and  girt  about  the  breast 
with  a  golden  girdle,  a  dress  that  denotes  high  rank  and  dig- 
nity; and  being  girt  in  this  manner  shows  him  to  be  aboi 
business,  namely  the  government  of  his  Church.     His  hsad 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

and  hair  were  white,  as  white  wool,  and  as  snow ;  an  emblem 
^of  Christ's  divine  existence  from  all  eternity,  whiteness  of 
hair  naturally  indicating  old  age.  And  his  eyes  were  as  a 
flame  of  fire,  as  piercing  as  the  flame  of  fire,  penetrating  into 
every  thing  as  he  himself  says :  "  I  am  He,  that  searcheth 
the  reins  and  hearts."  Apoc.  ii.  23.  His  feet  were  like  unto 
fine  brass,  as  in  a  burning  furnace  ;  the  feet  make  the  extremity 
of  the  body,  and  appear  here  inflamed  as  brass  in  a  glowing 
furnace,  to  show  that  at  the  extremity  or  end  of  time,  Christ 
will  come  to  destroy  the  world  by  fire.  His  voice  was  as  the 
sound  of  many  waters ;  his  voice  sounded  like  the  noise  of 
many  floAving  waters,  as  terrible  as  the  roaring  of  a  tempest- 
uous sea.  Such  will  be  his  voice  in  denouncing  sentence 
against  the  wicked  at  the  last  day.  In  his  right  hand  he  held 
seven  stars,  which  will  be  explained  below,  ver.  20.  And  from 
his  mouth  came  out  a  sharp  two-edged  sword,  the  terrible 
weapon  which  Christ  will  use,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter, 
to  slay  Anti-christ  and  his  armies.  It  appears  to  proceed  from 
his  mouth,  as  ready  to  execute  his  command.  It  also  shows 
in  general,  that  Christ  punishes  his  enemies.  Lastly,  his  face 
shone  as  bright  as  when  the  sun  shineth  in  its  full  power; 
this  is  the  bright  pleasing  countenance  which  he  will  show  to 
his  saints  at  the  last  day. 

Thus  appears  the  Son  of  Man,  arrayed  in  dignity,  with  the 
marks  of  his  unlimited  power  and  dominion,  with  the  symbols 
of  his  divine  and  human  attributes,  and  as  the  sovereign  Ad- 
ministrator of  his  Church. 

V.  17.  "  And  when  I  had  seen  him,"  continues  St.  John, 
"  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon 
me,  saying:  Fear  not,  I  am  the  first  and  the  last. 

V.  18.  "And  alive,*  and  was  dead.  And  behold  lam 
living  for  ever  and  ever,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  of 
hell." 

St.  John,  struck  at  the  awful  appearance  of  his  Lord,  falls 
down  at  his  feet  as  dead;  but  is  raised  up  by  Christ,  who  tells 
him  not  to  fear,  and  adds,  I  am  the  first  and  the  last:  I  exist 
before  all  created  beings,  and  shall  continue  to  exist  when  time 
shall  be  no  more;  I  am  from  all  eternity,  and  shall  be  to  all 
eternity,  I  am  alive  and  was  dead:  I  am  the  living  one;  life 
is  essential  to  me,  as  God;  but  I  died,  as  Man-God;  and  be- 
hold I  am  now  living  for  ever  and  ever.  I  hold  the  keys  of 
death  and  of  hell ;  mine  is  the  power  of  opening  the  graves,  and 
raising  the  dead  bodies ;  mine  is  the  power  of  opening  hell, 

♦  In  the  Greek  text,  "  the  Living-one." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  23 

and  drawing-  thence  the  souls,  to  reunite  them  to  their  bodies : 
and  thus  I  am  He  that  shall  resuscitate  all  mankind,  and  shall 
be  their  Judge. 

V.  19.  "  Write  therefore  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen, 
and  which  are,  and  which  must  be  done  hereafter." 

Our  Saviour  here  orders  St.  John  to  write  the  scene  he  has 
already  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  or  which  have  just  ^low 
been  dictated  to  him  ;  and  to  write  also  the  things  which  ^lust 
be  done  hereafter,  that  is,  the  history,  that  will  prese^'ji.h-  !  > 
given  him,  of  the  events  which  will  happen  in  the  Chrisuan 
Church. 

V.  20.  "The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars,"  continues  our 
Saviour,  "  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks.  The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven 
churches ;  and  the  seven  candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches." 

Here  Christ  himself  explains  to  St.  John  the  mystery  or 
meaning  of  two  particulars :  the  seven  stars,  vvhich  thou 
sawest  in  my  right  hand,  are,  or  denote  the  angels  of  the 
seven  churches  in  Asia,  that  is,  the  bishops  of  those  churches: 
and  the  seven  candlesticks  are,  or  represent  those  seven 
churches.  Let  us  also  observe,  that  these  seven  candlesticks, 
or  seven  churches,  may  very  well  represent  all  the  charc^'^es 
of  the  christian  world ;  and  in  that  case,  our  Saviour,  who  is 
placed  in  the  midst  of  them,  is  naturally  exhibited  as  adminis- 
tering and  governing  the  whole. 


CHAPTER  n. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  FIRST  AGE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Christ  proceeds,  in  the  second  and  third  chapters  of  the 
Apocalypse,  to  dictate  to  St.  John  particular  instructions  tor 
each  of  the  seven  above  mentioned  churches ;  which  as  they 
do  not  belong  to  the  general  history  of  Christianity,  we  shall 
pass  over,  and  shall  now  proceed  to  the  fourth  and  fifth  chap- 
ters, which  open  a  general  magnificent  scene,  that  prepares  us 
for  the  particular  transactions. 

Prelude  to  the  Opening  of  the  seven  Seals. 

Apoc.  chap,  iv.  1.  "After  these  things  I  looked,"  says 
St.  John,  "  and  behold  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  the 
first  voice  which  I  heard  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet  speaking 


24  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

with  me,  said  :  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show  thee  the  things 
which  must  be  done  hereafter. 

V.  2.  "And  immediately  I  was  in  the  spirit:  and  behold 
there  r/as  a  throne  set  in  heaven,  and  upon  the  throne  one 
sitting. 

V.  3.  "  And  he  that  sat  was  to  the  sight  like  the  jasper  and 
the  sardine  stone:  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the 
throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald." 

No  sooner  had  St.  John  received,  in  the  preceding  vision, 
the  documents  he  was  to  transmit  to  the  seven  Asiatic  churches; 
when  behold !  a  new  scene  displays  itself.  Heaven  opens. 
St.  John  is  invited  up  thither  by  the  voice  which  had  spoken 
:o  him  before,  that  is,  by  St.  John  Baptist,  and  is  told  ne  shall 
see  what  is  to  happen  in  future  ages.  On  a  sudden  appears  a 
throne,  and  the  Almighty  himself  seated  upon  it,  shining  in 
the  brightest  lustre  of  jasper  green  and  sardine  red,  the  green 
colour,  as  best  proportioned  to  the  human  eye,  speaks  his 
mercy,  and  the  red  his  justice :  these  two  attributes  bearing  a 
particular  relation  to  mankind.  The  throne  is  surrounded 
with  a  rainbow,  in  which  shines  remarkably  a  most  beautiful 
green,  like  that  of  emeralds.  This  rainbow,  with  its  bright 
green  colour,  denotes  the  covenant  of  reconciliation  and  peace, 
which  God  made  with  man  after  the  deluge. 

V.  4.  "  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty 
seats:  and  upon  the  seats,  four  and  twenty  ancients  sitting, 
clothed  in  white  g-arments,  and  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold." 

Round  the  throne  of  God  appear  sitting  four  and  twenty 
ancients,  representing  the  saints  that  preceded  the  age  of 
Christianity,  and  for  that  reason  called  ancients.  They  are 
clothed  in  white  to  express  the  immortal  glory  they  possess  in 
heaven ;  and  their  crowns  of  gold  show  their  royal  dignity, 
God  admitting  them  to  sit  as  judges  with  him.  In  the  same 
manner  it  was  said,  that  Christ  makes  his  saints  kings,  Apoc. 
i.  Qi^—Scep.  18. 

V.  5.  "And  from  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and 
voices,  and  thunders :  and  there  were  seven  lamps  burning 
before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God." 

The  lightnings,  loud  voices,  and  thunders,  which  come  from 
the  throne  of  God,  announce  alarms  and  severe  hardships, 
such  as  persecutions,  dissentions,  calamities,  &c.  by  which  he 
tries  the  fidelity  of  his  servants  on  earth.  And  the  seven  spirits 
oi  God,  who  appear  under  the  form  of  burning  lamps,  are 
seven  angels  as  before  mentioned.  Apoc.  i.  4.  standing  ready 
to  execute  the  divine  commands. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  25 

V.  6.  "  And  in  the  sight  of  the  throne  was  as  it  were  a  sea  of 
glass  like  to  crystal :  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
round  about  the  throne  were  four  living  creatures  full  of  eyes 
before  and  behind. 

V.  7.  "  And  the  first  living  creature  was  like  a  lion:  and 
the  second  living  creature,  like  a  calf;  and  the  third  living 
creature,  having  the  face,  as  it  were  of  a  man  :  and  the  fourth 
living  creature  was  like  an  eagle  flying. 

V.  8.  "  And  the  four  living  creatures  had  each  of  them  six 
wings  :   and  round  about,*  and  within,  they  are  full  of  eyes." 

The  extensive  sea  of  glass  here  described,  transparent  as 
crystal,  represents  what  may  be  called,  the  floor  of  heaven. 
Before  the  throne  of  Clod  and  round  it  stand  four  living  crea- 
tures of  an  extraordinary  shape,  which  denote  the  four  great 
prophets,  Isaiah,  Jeremy,  Ezechiel,  and  Daniel.  Their  bodies 
are  described  full  of  eyes  both  before  and  behind,  an  emblem 
of  their  prophetic  sight,  that  penetrates  into  all  ages,  past,  pre- 
sent, and  to  come.  And  they  being  also  full  of  eyes  within, 
indicates  that  their  extensive  knowledge  arises  from  an  interior 
divine  Inspiration.  They  have  each  six  wings,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  seraphims  appeared  to  the  prophet  Isaias,  Isa. 
vi.  2  :  Two  wino-s  serve  to  cover  their  face,  two  their  feet,  out 
of  respect  for  the  Deity  :  and  the  two  others  serve  to  fly,  that 
is,  figuratively  express  their  expeditious  readiness  to  carry  and 
deliver  the  divine  instructions  and  messages. 

Some  have  imagined  these  four  symbolical  living  creatures 
to  represent  the  four  Evangelists,  but  we  think  improperly; 
as  St.  John  was  still  living,  and  there  present  in  person.  Be- 
sides, the  scene  exhibited  here  to  St.  John  represents  the  times 
and  persons  that  existed  before  the  age  of  Christianity.  The 
first  living  creature  is  here  said  to  resemble  a  lion,  the  king 
of  beasts ;  because  the  prophet  Isaias,  represented  by  it,  was 
descended  by  the  royal  race  of  David.  The  second  living  crea- 
ture resembles  a  calf,  and  represents  the  prophet  Jeremy,  in 
his  character  of  a  priest;  the  calf  which  was  the  principal 
victim  in  Jewish  sacrifices,  being  on  that  account  the  emblem 
of  priesthood.  The  third  living  creature,  exhibiting  Ezechiel, 
has  the  countenance  of  a  man  ;  because  God,  in  speaking  to 
that  prophet,  always  addresses  him  by  the  name  of  Son  of 
man.  The  fourth  living  creature,  denoting  Daniel,  resem- 
bles a  flying  eagle,  on  account  of  the  sublime  oracles  of  this 
prophet,  who  soars  to  the  highest  object,  and  views  the  succes- 
sion of  all  the  great  empires,  that  were  to  rise  up  in  the  world 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  six  wings  about  him  ;  and  within,"  &(i. 
3 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

to  the  end  of  time.  Probably  these  four  principal  prophets  are 
to  be  understood  to  represent  all  the  prophets  of  the  old  law. 

V.  8.  "And  they  (the  four  living  creatures)  rested  not  day 
and  night,  saying,  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty, 
who  was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is  to  come  ! 

V.  9.  "  And  when  those  living  creatures  gave*  glory  and 
honour  and  benediction  to  him,  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  who 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

V.  10.  "  The  four  and  twenty  ancients  fell  doAvn  before  him 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  adored  him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying : 

V.  11.  "  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord  our  God,  to  receive  glory, 
and  honour,  and  power :  because  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  for  thy  will  they  were,!  and  have  been  created." 

The  Almighty  being  seated  on  his  throne,  in  the  splendour 
of  his  majesty,  with  the  marks  of  his  supreme  power,  sur- 
rounded with  the  august  choir  of  the  ancient  Saints  and  Pro- 
phets ;  these  Prophets,  represented  by  the  four  living  crea- 
tures, are  constantly  employed  in  offering  their  homage  to 
him  and  singing  his  praises.  They  cry  out  day  and  night, 
Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty  !  &c.  repeating  three 
times  Holy,  probably  in  honour  of  the  Blessed  Trinity ;  and 
for  the  same  reason  they  give  to  God  three  different  kinds  of 
praise,  glory,  honour  and  benediction,  or  thanksgiving.  And 
whenever  the  four  living  creatures  sing  these  praises,  the  four 
and  twenty  ancients  are  ready  to  join  their  homage,  by  falling 
down  before  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  adoring  Him 
that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever;  and  in  token  of  their  acknow- 
ledging all  their  happiness  and  pre-eminence  to  be  his  gift, 
they  cast  down  their  crowns  before  the  throne  ;  and  thus  they 
conclude  their  homage :  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord  our  God, 
to  receive  glory,  honour,  and  power :  because  thou  hast  created 
all  things,  and  for  thy  will  they  are,  and  have  been  created; 
that  is,  we  acknowledge  thy  power,  O  Lord,  because  by  thy 
Omnipotence  thou  hast  created  all  things ;  honour  is  due  to 
thee,  because  by  thy  will  they  are,  or  continue  to  exist ;  glory 
is  due  to  thee,  because  they  were  created  to  serve  to  thy  glory 

Apoc.  chap.  V.  1.  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  '  in  the  right 
hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne  a  book,  written  within  and 
without,  sealed  with  seven  seals." 

The  book,  which  Almighty  God  holds  in  his  right  hand, 
contains  the  detail  of  his  adininistration  of  the  Christian  church; 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  shall  give,"  &c.— "  the  four  and  twenty  ancients  will 
fall  down,"  &c.  t  In  the  Greek,  "  they  are." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  27 

the  length  of  which  detail  is  marked  by  the  book  being  writ- 
ten both  within  and  without.  It  is  sealed  up,  as  containing 
the  divine  counsels,  impenetrable  to  human  sagacity;  and  the 
seven  seals  indicate  that  the  whole  is  divided  into  seven  parts, 
each  of  which  is  unfolded  and  made  known  at  the  opening  of 
each  respective  seal, 

V.  2.  "  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel,  proclaiming  with  a  loud 
voice :  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals 
thereof? 

V.  3.  "  And  no  man  was  able,  neither  in  heaven,  nor  on 
earth,  nor  under  the  earth,  to  open  the  book,  nor  to  look  on  it." 

A  strong  angel  cries  out  with  a  loud  voice,  to  be  heard  over 
the  whole  creation,  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seals  thereof?  But  there  is  not  found  a  creature, 
either  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  or  elsewhere,  worthy  to  do  this 
function,  or  even  to  look  on  the  book,  the  eyes  not  being  here 
permitted  to  view  the  repository  of  the  divine  dispensations, 
which,  the  book  being  yet  sealed  up,  are  kept  concealed  from 
human  understanding. 

V.  4.  "  And  I  wept  much,"  continues  St.  John,  "  because  no 
man  was  found  worthy  to  open  the  book,*  nor  to  see  it. 

V.  5.  "  And  one  of  the  ancients  said  to  me,  weep  not,  be- 
cause the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  root  of  David,  hath 
prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof" 

St.  John,  mortified  and  weeping,  because  no  one  was  found 
worthy  to  open  the  book,  is  told  by  one  of  the  four  and  twenty 
ancients  to  cease  weeping;  for  that  the  lion  of  the  tribe  of 
Juda,  the  root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  &c, 
Christ  the  Messiah,  who  is  born  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  and  who 
is  the  root  that  springs  from  the  royal  race  of  David,  is,  on 
account  of  his  achievements,  styled  the  Lion  of  that  tribe,  con- 
formably to  Jacob's  prophecy :  "  Juda  is  a  lion's  whelp,"  Gen. 
xlix.  9.  He,  the  Messiah,  David's  descendant,  like  a  valiant 
lion,  conquered  Satan,  death,  and  the  world.  He  put  a  stop 
to  Satan's  power,  by  breaking  down  the  empire  of  idolatry,  he 
discharged  the  great  functions  he  undertook  to  perform  on 
earth,  he  reconciled  man  to  his  eternal  Father,  he  raised  him- 
self from  death,  he  established  his  new  Law  notwithstanding 
the  most  obstinate  opposition  from  the  world,  and  he  founded 
his  Church  at  the  expense  of  his  blood.  By  these  victories 
he  is  here  proclaimed  to  have  merited  to  open  the  book,  that 
contains  the  account  of  the  divine  dispensations  to  that  church 
— accordingly, 

*  The  Greek  text  here  adds,  "  and  to  read  it." 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  6.  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John  :  "  and  behold  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  four  living  creatures,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  ancients,  a  Lamb  standing  as  it  were  slain,  having 
seven  horns  and  seven  eyes :  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of 
God,  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth. 

V.  7.  "  And  he  came  and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right 
hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne." 

We  had  just  now  seen  Christ  represented  as  a  strong  and 
valiant  lion  subduing  his  enemies  ;  here  we  see  him  in  the 
humble  character  of  a  lamb,  which  appears  as  it  were  slain, 
that  is,  newly  sacrificed  and  immolated  for  the  redemption  of 
the  world.  But  the  Lamb  is  standing,  that  is,  though  he  has 
been  slain,  he  is  resuscitated  to  life,  and  recovered  all  his 
strength  and  vigour:  and  he  is  seen  placed  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne,  which  bespeaks  his  divine  origin  and  person.  This 
lamb  has  seven  horns,  signifying  the  seven  particular  powers 
which  he  exercises  in  the  seven  successive  ages  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church:  and  to  show  his  wisdom  and  vigilance,  he  has 
also  seven  eyes  denoting  the  seven  spirits  of  God  abovemen- 
tioned,  Apoc.  i.  4.  and  iv.  5.  or  angels,  w4io  are  always  ready 
to  execute  the  commands  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  and  to  carry 
their  messages  over  the  whole  earth.  The  number  seven  here 
used,  corresponds  to  the  seven  periods  or  ages,  into  w^hichthe 
whole  duration  of  the  Christian  Church  is  divided :  so  that, 
when  it  is  said,  that  the  lamb  has  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes, 
it  is  meant,  that  the  Lamb,  or  Jesus  Christ,  governs  his  Church 
through  its  seven  successive  ages  by  his  power  and  wisdom, 
and  by  the  ministry  of  seven  angels,  who  may  be  supposed  to 
be  appointed  over  the  seven  ages  of  the  Christian  Church,  each 
angel  to  each  age. 

The  Lamb  goes  and  takes  the  book  from  the  hand  of  God, 
who  sitteth  upon  the  throne: 

V.  8.  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  book,*  the  four  living 
creatures,  and  the  four  and  twenty  ancients  fell  down  before 
the  Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials 
full  of  odours,  which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints : 

V.  9.  "  And  they  sung  a  new  canticle,  saying :  Thou  art 
worthy,  O  Lord,  to  take  the  book  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof: 
l)ecause  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redccm.ed  us  to  God  in  thy 
blood,  out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation. 

V.  10.  "And  hast  made  us  to  our  God  a  kingdomf  and 
priests,  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth.'' 

♦  In  the  Greek  text,  "  when  he  had  taken  the  book,"  and  so  read  most 
of  the  ancient  interpreters.  tin  the  Greek,  kings. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  29 

The  Lamb  having  taken  the  book,  the  four  living  creatures 
and  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  or  the  prophets  and  the  saints 
prior  to  Christianity,  whom  they  represent,  fall  down  and  adore 
him,  having  in  their  hands  harps  and  golden  vials  full  of  odours, 
which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints.  The  prayers  of  the  saints, 
that  is,  of  the  faithful  on  earth,  are  here  described  as  sweet 
odours,  and  are  presented  to  Christ  by  the  saints  in  heaven. 
Then  the  four  living  creatures  and  the  four  and  twenty 
ancients,  being  postrate  before  the  Lamb,  sing  a  new  canticle; 
new,  because  the  subject  of  it  is  new,  viz.  the  actions  of  the 
Lamb.  This  new  canticle  is.  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the 
book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof;  because  thou  Avast  slain, 
and  hast  redeemed  us,  not  only  us  but  also  our  posterity,  the 
christian  race ;  for  thou  hast  redeemed  us,  out  of  every  tribe, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.  Thus  these  saints  and 
prophets  acknowledge,  that  the  Lamb  has,  at  the  expense  of 
his  blood,  redeemed  mankind,  and  restored  them  to  the  rights 
they  had  lost  by  Adam's  sin,  and  consequently  that  he  is  en- 
titled to  an  absolute  dominion  over  them  through  all  succeed- 
ing generations.  Thus  they  also  acknowledge,  that  they  are 
indebted  to  him  for  the  ineffable  blessings  of  heavenly  glory, 
and  of  kingly  and  priestly  power,  which  they  now  posses^,, 
and  which  will  hereafter  be  likewise  the  portion  of  their  pos- 
terity. On  these  accounts  they  proclaim,  the  Lamb  has  merited 
to  take  the  book,  and  open  the  seals  thereof,  that  is,  to  reveal 
to  men  what  relates  to  his  Church. Thus  we  see  the  dou- 
ble character  of  Christ.  What  he  is  here  declared  to  have 
merited  as  the  slaughtered  Lamb,  he  was  also  before  en- 
titled to  in  quality  of  the  conquering  Lion. 

V.  11.  "And  I  beheld,"  proceeds  St.  John,  "and  I  heard 
the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  living 
creatures  and  the  ancients:  and  the  number  of  them  was 
thousands  of  thousands. 

V.  12.  "  Saying  with  aloud  voice:  The  Lamb,  that  was 
slain,  is  worthy  to  receive  power,  and  divinity,*  and  wisdom, 
and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  benediction." 

After  the  adoration  and  homage  paid  to  the  Lamb  by  the 
ancient  prophets  and  saints,  St.  John  now  sees  an  infinite  num- 
ber of  angels  round  the  throne  and  round  the  celestial  choir, 
who  come  next  to  address  the  Lamb  with  their  praises  and 
loud  applauses,  saying,  the  Lamb,  that  was  slain,  is  worthy  to 
receive  power,  and  riches,  «fec.  because  by  being  slain,  he  has 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  riches.  The  manuscripts  and  the  ancient  writers 
read  the  same. 

3* 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

purchased  a  power  of  forming  to  himself  a  people  out  of  every 
nation  of  the  earth,  that  is,  of  founding  a  new  universal  church, 
and  has  also  merited  to  be  vested  with  the  government  of  it 
through  all  succeeding  time.  And  as  the  period  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church's  duration  is,  by  divine  appointment,  divided  into 
seven  ages,  so  the  Lamb  is  represented  as  entitled  to  seven  spe- 
cial qualities,  power,  riches,  wisdom,  strength,  honour,  glory 
and  benediction,  which  bear  a  relation  to  that  part  of  his  go- 
vernment of  the  church,  which  is  described  under  the  seven 
seals.  These  seven  qualities  are  therefore  to  be  applied  to  the 
seven  successive  ages,  each  to  each  respectively  ;  and  there,  the 
meaning  of  them  will  be  explained. 

V.  13.  "And  every  creature,  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on 
the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and 
all  that  are  in  them :  I  heard  all  saying :  To  him  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,  benediction,  and  honour,  and 
glory,  and  power,  for  ever  and  ever." 

After  the  homage  of  the  angels,  succeeds  that  of  all  crea- 
tures, both  animate  and  inanimate,  which  are  in  heaven,  and 
on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  or  in  hell,  and  in  the  sea; 
and  in  fine,  of  all  that  are  in  them,  that  is,  of  every  individual 
atom  of  the  creation.  They  are  all  heard  to  say :  To  him 
(God)  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  and  to  the  Lamb,  benediction 
and  honour  and  glory  and  power  for  ever  and  ever.  Thus 
they  pour  forth  their  praises  to  God  and  the  Lamb,  for  their 
creation,  their  conservation,  the  beautiful  harmony  and  order 
they  hold  in  the  general  system  of  nature,  &c.  In  the  verses 
9th  and  11th,  in  the  preceding  pages,  sea  p.  28  and  29.  three 
times  of  praise  were  offered  to  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne; 
here  a  fourth  is  added,  viz.  power,  on  account  of  the  Lamb, 
who  has  acquired  all  power  over  this  world,  and  which  is  thus 
confessed  by  every  individual  part  of  it.  In  the  same  sense 
St.  Paul  declares,  that  "in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  shall 
bow,  of  those  that  are  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  under  the  earth." 
Philip,  ii.  10. 

V.  14.  "  And  the  four  living  creatures  said:  Amen.  And 
the  four  and  twenty  ancients  fell  down  on  their  faces,  and  adored 
him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever." 

To  the  above  praises  and  homage  ofTered  to  God  and  the 
Lamb,  the  four  living  creatures,  or  ancient  prophets,  join  their 
assent  by  saying.  Amen.  This  conclusion  comes  suitabl}^  from 
them  who  had  so  often  proclaimed  to  the  world  the  great  works 
of  the  Almighty  and  the  Lamb,  and  their  gracious  dispensa- 
tions to  mankind.     Then,  conformably  to  what  is  said  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  31 

preceding-  page,  verse  9th  and  10th,  see  p.  28.  the  four  and 
twenty  ancients  close  this  awful  and  religious  scene  of  ho- 
mage and  praise  by  adoring  the  Almighty  in  unity  of  God- 
head. 

Thus  we  have  seen  an  august  scene  exhibited,  where  God 
the  Almighty  appears,  shining  in  all  the  brightness  and  dig- 
nity of  Divine  Majesty,  and  round  him  an  illustrious  choir, 
composed  of  the  ancient  prophets  represented  by  four  emble- 
matical animals,  and  of  four  and  twenty  ancients  representing 
all  the  saints  of  the  ages  antecedent  to  Christianity.  By  this 
disposition  of  the  scene,  our  view  is  removed  back  to  the  time 
of  the  close  of  the  Old  Law,  and  the  commencement  of  the 
New,  that  is,  to  the  birth  of  the  Christian  Church.  The 
ancient  saints  and  prophets  sound  forth  their  praises,  their 
thanks,  and  hymns  of  gratitude  to  God  for  all  his  blessings 
received,  and  for  the  all  wise  and  bountiful  economy  he  had 
exercised  over  them  through  all  past  ages.  And  thus  they 
close  up  the  period  of  the  patriarchal  and  Jewish  Church. 

The  Lamb  then  appears  who  had  just  been  slain  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  world.  He  has  by  his  blood  acquired  the  do- 
minion over  the  whole  succeeding  race  of  mankind ;  and 
therefore  he  now  opens  a  new  period  by  founding  his  own 
Church,  the  Church  of  the  Christians,  of  which  he  is  declared, 
conjointly  with  God,  Lord  and  governor.  Immediately  the 
ancient  prophets  and  saints  direct  their  homage  to  him,  ac- 
knowledging they  owe  to  him  their  redemption,  their  power 
and  bliss,  and  all  other  blessings.  Thus  they  give  testimony 
to  the  Lamb,  they  confess  his  sovereign  power,  and  that  his 
reign  now  begins,  and  will  last  for  ever.  The  same  is  re- 
echoed by  every  part  of  the  creation. — We  must  observe,  that 
no  Christian  saints  appear  in  this  celestial  assembly :  the  rea- 
son is,  because  the  scene  exhibits  to  us  the  moment  in  which 
Christianity  commences. 

The  Opening  of  the  first  Seal. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  v.  1.  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "that the 
Lamb  had  opened  one  of  the  seven  seals,  and  I  heard  one  of 
the  four  living  creatures,  as  it  were  the  voice  of  thunder,  say- 
ing :  Come  and  see. 

V.  2.  "  And  I  saw :  and  behold  a  white  horse  and  he  that 
sat  on  him  had  a  bow,  and  there  was  a  crown  given  him,  and 
he  went  forth  conquering  that  he  might  conquer." 

Previously  to  the  explication  of  the  text,  let  us  observe,  that 
at  the  opening'  of  each  seal  of  this  mysterious  book,  a  new 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

spectacle  offers  itself  to  St.  John,  which  seems  to  represent, 
under  an  emblematical  figure,  what  is  written  in  that  part  of 
the  book  that  is  laid  open  on  breaking  the  seal.  And  the  seven 
figurative  representations,  that  thus  follow  on  the  opening  of 
the  seven  seals,  mark  seven  particular  events,  which  open  the 
seven  ages,  into  which  is  divided  the  whole  period  of  the 
church's  existence. This  observation  premised. 

At  the  opening  of  the  first  seal,  there  appears  to  St.  John  a 
person  upon  a  white  horse.  This  person  is  our  Saviour,  as 
appears  from  chapter  xix.  of  the  Apocalypse,  ver.  11  and  13, 
where  St.  John  says,  "  I  saw  heaven  open,  and  there  appeared 
a  white  horse ;  and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  was  called  the  Faith- 
ful and  True. And  his  name  is,  the  Word  of  God."     The 

crown  that  is  here  given  him,  and  the  white  colour  of  his  steed, 
show  him  victorious  and  triumphant.  Christ  had  been  victo- 
rious; first,  over  Satan,  by  overthrowing  the  dominion  that 
murderous  enemy  had  usurped  over  mankind;  secondly,  in 
purchasing,  by  extreme  suffering,  and  at  the  price  of  his  blood, 
a  perpetual  peace  between  God  and  man  ;  thirdly,  in  conquer- 
ing death,  b}^  raising  himself  to  life  from  the  grave  by  his  own 
power.  Fraught  with  these  victories,  he  had  ascended  trium- 
phant in  glory  into  heaven,  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the 
heavenly  choirs,  singing,  "  Princes,  lift  up  your  gates  ;  eter- 
nal gates,  be  ye  lifted  up,  and  the  King  of  glory  shall  enter 
in."  Psalm  xxiii.  7.  Being  therefore  exalted  to  all  the  honours 
of  a  glorious  King  and  conqueror,  he  here  appears  in  the 
equipment  belonging  to  that  character,  and  with  bow  in  hand 
sets  out  to  prosecute  his  conquests,  in  subduing  the  world  to 
the  dominion  of  faith  by  the  preaching  of  his  apostles,  and 
his  other  succeeding  ministers. 

Thus  then  opens  and  commences  the  first  age  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  which  may  take  its  date  from  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, or  Whitsunday,  when  the  apostles  began  to  preach.  And 
the  conquest,  or  conversion,  which  followed,  of  so  many  na- 
tions to  the  faith,  shows  evidently  in  Christ  the  exercise  of 
that  power,  which  was  attributed  to  him,  Apoc.  v.  12.  See  p. 
29.  Let  us  also  observe,  that  on  opening  the  seal,  one,  or  the 
first  of  the  four  living  creatures,  which,  as  Ave  have  shown, 
represents  the  prophet  Isaias,  says  to  St.  John,  Come  and  see  ; 
which  is  spoken,  as  with  the  voice  of  thunder,  to  mark  the  im- 
portance of  the  vision :  and  the  invitation  to  a  view  of  our 
triumphant  Saviour  comes  properly  from  Isaias,  who  had  so 
minutely  prophesied  of  all  that  related  to  him. 

To  understand  how  the  conquest  of  the  world  was  made  to 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  33 

the  Gospel,  we  must  take  notice  that,  as  soon  as  the  apostles 
had  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  ten  days  after  the  ascension  of 
Christ,  they  immediately  proceeded  to  execute  the  commission 
given  them  by  their  divine  Master,  when  he  told  them,  "  Go, 
and  teach  all  nations,"  Mat.  xxviii.  16,  "but  to  begin  by  Jeru- 
salem and  Judaea,"  Lake  xxiv.  47.  and  Acts  i.  8.  They  spent 
therefore  some  time  in  labouring  at  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
of  whom  no  small  number  embraced  the  Christian  religion, 
though  much  the  greater  part  remained  obstinate  in  their  infi- 
delity. This  work  being  done,  the  apostles  separated  and  dis- 
persed themselves  into  different  nations,  to  announce  to  them 
the  new  tidings  of  salvation.  St.  Peter  retired  to  Antioch, 
where  he  founded  a  church,  and  having  governed  it  for  seven 
years,  and  preached  over  a  great  part  of  lesser  Asia,  he  went  to 
Rome,  and  there  fixed  his  see.  St.  Andrew  preached  to  the 
Scythians,  and  afterwards  in  Greece  and  Epirus,  St.  Philip 
in  higher  Asia.  St.  Thomas  preached  to  the  Parthians,  then 
eastwards  as  far  as  the  Indies.  St.  Bartholomew  went  into 
Armenia,  and  some  part  of  India.  St.  Matthew  em.ployed  his 
labours  in  Parthia  and  other  eastern  countries  of  Asia.  St. 
Simon  in  Mesopotamia  and  Persia.  St.  Jude  or  Thaddee  in 
Mesopotamia  and  Arabia.  St.  Matthias  in  the  countries  bor- 
dering on  the  Caspian  sea.  St.  John  fixed  his  see  at  Ephesus 
in  Asia  Minor,  in  which  country  he  founded  several  churches, 
which  he  governed  till  his  death.  The  two  St.  James's,  one  of 
whom  was  the  first  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  chiefly  confined  their 
preaching  to  Judsea.  St.  Paul  announced  the  gospel  to  many 
nations,  but  he  was  principally  employed  in  Asia  and  Greece, 
and  finished  his  mission  in  Rome. 

By  these  zealous  messengers  of  Christ,  the  gospel  was 
spread  throughout  the  world,  according  to  that  of  the  royal 
Prophet :  "  Their  sound  hath  gone  forth  into  all  the  earth : 
and  their  words  unto  the  ends  of  the  world."  Psalm  xxviii.  5. 
The  success  of  their  preaching  was  the  more  wonderful,  as 
all  human  considerations  conspired  against  it.  This  new  doc- 
trine was  entirely  opposite  to  the  received  maxims  of  the  world ; 
it  declared  war  against  the  passions  of  mankind,  it  taught  self- 
denial  and  mortification,  it  preached  a  contempt  of  what  is 
generally  admired,  it  condemned  all  other  religions,  and  abso- 
lutely required  a  most  virtuous  conduct  in  all  its  professors. 
Moreover,  its  ministers,  the  apostles,  were  not  possessed  of 
those  natural  endowments,  which  might  make  impression  upon 
their  hearers,  and  conciliate  their  minds  to  a  new  doctrine. 
They  were  illiterate  men,  chosen  from  the  lowest  conditions 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

of  life,  destitute  of  all  human  succour,  without  the  advantages 
of  education,  and  without  human  eloquence.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  want  of  these  helps,  they  were  inspired  with  such  a 
spirit  of  zeal,  and  with  such  supernatural  force  of  elocution  as 
not  to  be  resisted.  But,  above  all,  the  power  of  performing 
miracles  was  their  peculiar  badge  which  stamped  upon  their 
words  the  seal  of  divine  attestation.  These  were  the  means 
by  which  truth  began  to  shine  forth  in  a  garb  which  it  had 
never  worn  before.  It  now  laid  open  to  view  the  errors  man- 
kind had  hitherto  been  enslaved  to,  it  withdrew  the  veil  of  igno- 
rance that  had  overshadowed  human  reason,  it  dispelled  the 
darkness  of  paganism  and  superstition,  and  by  its  native  lustre 
it  discovered  the  imperfection  of  all  the  systems  of  doctrine 
proposed  before  by  the  so  much  boasted  philosophers  of  anti- 
quity. Such  became  the  case  Avith  a  Socrates,  a  Plato,  an 
Epictetus,  a  Cicero,  &c.  Those  sages,  as  they  were  styled,  not 
aware  of  the  weakness  of  human  reason  unassisted  by  revela- 
tion, gave  precepts  of  morality  and  maxims  for  the  conduct  of 
life,  which  were  in  admiration  for  many  ages ;  but  when  that 
light  appeared,  which  came  down  from  heaven  with  the  Son 
of  God,  it  then  became  manifest  how  defective  those  dictates 
were.  In  the  same  manner  as  the  stars  in  the  firmament  strike 
us  with  their  lustre,  and  shine  with  advantage,  in  the  night, 
but  when  the  great  luminary  of  the  day,  the  sun,  comes  forth, 
the  brightness  of  the  stars  immediately  fades,  and  soon  vanishes, 
so  likewise,  when  the  Son  of  God  thought  fit  to  grace  this 
world  with  his  presence,  it  became  necessary  that  all  former 
legislators  and  philosophers,  however  eminent,  should  be 
eclipsed  by  his  superior  excellence,  and  that  every  human  in- 
stitution of  doctrine  should  give  place  to  the  new  precepts  of 
his  all-comprehending  wisdom. 

The  great  structure  of  religion,  which  the  apostles  had 
begun,  was  carried  on  by  their  faithful  and  zealous  suc- 
cessors through  the  subsequent  ages.  Thus  he  went  forth 
conquering  that  he  might  conquer ;  and,  thus  he  doth  to  this 
day,  and  will  continue  so  to  do. 

Prelude  to  the  sounding  of  the  seven  Trumpets. 

Apoc.  chap.  viii.  2,  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  seven 
angels*  standing  in  the  presence  of  God:  there  were  given 
to  them  seven  trumpets." 

St.  John  now  is  directed  to  turn  his  eyes  to  the  seven 
angels,  who  were  seen  standing  before  the  throne  of  God  in 

♦In  the  Greek  text,  "the  seven  angels." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  85 

heaven,  Apoc.  i.  4.  and  iv.  5.  and  seven  trumpets  are  given 
to  them;  one  of  these  trumpets  is  sounded  in  each  of  the 
seven  ages  of  the  Church,  probably  by  that  angel  who  is 
appointed  to  superintend  that  age. — Then, 

V.  3.  "  And  another  angel  came,  and  stood  before  the  altar, 
having  a  golden  censer ;  and  there  was  given  to  him  much 
incense,  that  he  should  offer  of  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon 
the  golden  altar,  which  is  before  the  throne  of  God. 

V.  4.  "And  the  smoke  of  the  incense  of  the  prayers  of  the 
saints  ascended  up  before  God,  from  the  hand  of  the  angel." 

In  imitation  of  the  golden  altar  of  incense  that  stood  in  the 
Jewish  tabernacle  before  the  Holy  of  Holies,  there  is  here  a 
golden  altar  of  incense  placed  before  the  throne  of  God,  to 
which  an  angel  comes  holding  a  golden  censer.  This  is 
presently  filled  with  much  incense,  which  represents  the 
prayers  of  all  the  saints,  that  is,  of  all  the  servants  of  God  on 
earth:  and  thus  the  angel  offers  these  prayers,  which  ascend 
up  as  the  odour  of  so  much  fragrant  incense  before  God,  so 
pleasing  are  they  to  him.  We  saw,  Apoc.  v.  8.  see  p.  28.  the 
saints  in  heaven  presenting  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  to  the 
Lamb  ;  and  here  the  same  kind  of  function  is  performed  by  an 
angel:  which  shows  how  the  angels  are  employed  in  good 
offices  for  mankind.  Another  instance  of  this  sort  is  seen  in 
the  book  of  Tobias,  where  the  angel  tells  that  holy  man, 
"  When  thou  didst  pray  with  tears, — I  offered  thy  prayers  to 
the  Lord."     Tob.  xii.  12. 

V.  5.  "  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  the 
fire  of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  on  the  earth,  and  there  were  thun- 
ders, and  voices,  and  lightnings,  and  a  great  earthquake." 

The  angel  having  performed  the  religious  rite  of  offering 
the  prayers  of  the  saints  to  God,  he  then  takes  the  censer,  and 
fills  it  with  fire  from  the  altar  of  holocaust;  such  altar  appear- 
ing to  St.  John  in  heaven  similar  to  that  which  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Jewish  tabernacle.  The  censer  so  filled  with 
fire,  the  angel  casts  down  on  the  earth.  This  is  a  figurative 
intimation  of  God's  design  to  try  his  servants  on  earth  by  the 
fire  of  tribulation,  like  gold  in  the  furnace.  The  Almighty 
had  just  received  their  prayers  with  great  complacency,  and 
doubtless  never  ceases  to  keep  a  paternal  eye  over  them,  and 
to  cover  them  with  his  protection:  but  he  here  lets  them  know, 
it  is  the  disposition  of  his  Providence  to  put  them  to  the  test,  that 
those  who  are  truly  his  servants,  and  firm  in  their  faith  and 
charity,  may  be  distinguished  from  the  hypocrites  and  pusil- 
lanimous.   Accordingly,  unon  the  falling  of  the  censer  on  the 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

earth,  there  happen  thunders,  and  voices,  and  lightnings, 
and  a  great  earthquake ;  which  metaphorically  express  four 
various  kinds  of  tribulations,  which  are  to  befall  the  Christians 
at  the  sounding  of  the  four  first  trumpets,  and  which  will  then 
be  seen ;  and  there  the  abovementioned  four  metaphorical 
terms  will  be  explained.  The  three  last  trumpets,  as  we  shall 
see  hereafter,  have  three  particular  woes  annexed  to  them. 

V.  6.  "  And  the  seven  angels,  who  had  the  seven  trumpets, 
prepared  themselves  to  sound  the  trumpet." 

The  trumpet  is  generally  sounded  for  war,  or  to  give  notice 
of  any  public  danger  or  alarm.  And  such  is  the  case  here. 
The  seven  angels  sound  at  different  intervals  of  time  their 
trumpets,  to  announce  alarms  to  the  Christians,  such  as  per- 
secutions, heresies,  wars,  «fcc.  trials  with  which  they  must 
struggle,  and  which  the  Almighty  sends  them  for  their 
probation. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  observe,  that  the  magnificent 
scene,  which  was  exhibited  in  heaven  in  the  prelude  to  the 
opening  of  the  seals,  receives  here  an  addition  by  the  appear- 
ance of  two  new  objects,  the  altar  of  incense  and  the  altar  of 
holocausts.  These  are  very  aptly  introduced,  to  point  out 
some  particular  circumstances  that  have  relation  to  the  trum- 
pets. The  first  altar,  on  which  the  Jews  offered  daily  incense 
to  God,  presents  to  our  mind  the  daily  offering  the  Christians 
make  to  God  of  their  fervent  and  holy  prayers,  which  ascend 
to  heaven  like  sweet  perfumes :  while  at  the  same  time,  the 
altar  of  holocausts,  on  which  the  Jewish  victims  were  burned, 
is  here  a  just  representation  of  martyrdom,  by  which  the 
Christians  are  immolated  as  so  many  victims  to  God  in  the 
fire  of  persecution. 

As  before  the  opening  of  the  seals  we  saw,  p.  31,  the  close 
of  the  Old  Law  and  the  commencement  of  the  New ;  so 
here,  before  the  sounding  of  trumpets  a  confirmation  of  the 
same  appears,  by  two  Jewish  altars,  of  incense  and  holocausts, 
being  removed  out  of  sight  on  the  angels  proceeding  to  sound 
the  trumpets  which  relate  to  the  Christian  Church. 

The  sounding  of  the  first  Trumj)et. 

Apoc.  chap.  viii.  7.  "  And  the  first  angel  sounded  the 
trumpet,  and  there  followed  hail  and  fire,  mingled  with  blood, 
and  it  was  cast  on  the  earth,  and  the  third  part  of  the  earth* 

♦  "The  third  part  of  the  earth  was  burnt,"  is  not  in  the  common  Greek 
text ;  but  it  is  found  in  several  very  good  manuscripts,  and  in  the  Syriac 
and  Arabic  versions. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  37 

was  burnt  up,  and  the  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt  up,  and 
all  the  green  grass  was  burnt  up." 

This  shower  of  hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  denotes 
the  cruel  and  bloody  persecutions  exercised  against  the 
Christians  in  the  three  first  centuries,  till  Constantine,  the 
first  Christian  emperor,  put  a  stop  to  them.  The  words,  hail, 
fire,  and  blood,  pretty  plainly  express  some  of  the  most 
remarkable  kinds  of  death  inflicted  on  the  Christians ;  some 
being  consumed  by  fire,  others  having  their  blood  spilt  by 
the  sword,  and  others  being  stoned  to  death,  which  kind  of 
execution  may  very  well  be  represented  by  hail.  This  terri- 
ble shower  fell  upon  the  earth,  which  here  represents  the 
Church  of  Christ,  in  its  first  quiet  state,  in  allusion  to  the 
land  vv'hich  is  the  stable  part  of  the  terraqueous  globe.  Then 
a  third  part  of  the  earth  was  destroyed  by  the  shower,  that  is, 
the  persecutions  swept  away  nearly  one  third  part  of  the 
Christians.  But  in  particular,  a  third  part  of  the  trees  was 
burnt,  that  is,  a  third  part  of  the  pastors,  with  their  clergy, 
meant  here  by  the  trees,  were  sacrificed  in  the  fire  of  per- 
secution: and  all  the  green  grass,  or  best  grass,  was  con- 
sumed, that  is,  all  the  most  fervent  and  perfect  among  the 
faithful  were  blessed  with  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 

Persecutions,  tortures,  violent  deaths  by  martyrdom,  are 
such  objects  of  alarm  and  terror  to  human  nature,  that  they 
may,  with  great  propriety,  be  metaphorical! j^  styled  thunders : 
Apoc.  viii.  5. 

At  the  opening  of  the  first  seal  we  saw  the  conversion  of 
Jews  and  Pagans  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  thus  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  took  its  rise.  But  no  sooner  is  the  infant  Church 
formed,  than  the  trumpet  of  alarm  sounds,  and  Christ  permits 
his  new-acquired  people  to  be  subjected  to  rigorous  trials  by 
repeated  persecutions,  and  their  fidelity  to  be  put  to  the  strict- 
est test.     Such  is  the  economy  of  his  unfathomable  wisdom. 

Satan,  who  had  usurped  for  many  ages  almost  an  universal 
empire  in  the  world,  by  setting  himself  up  to  be  worshipped 
in  the  pi  ice  of  Cxod,  seeing  his  throne  shaken  by  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  Christian  religion,  was  deeply  stung,  and  resolved 
to  exert  his  utmost  efforts  to  crush  the  new  rising  power,  and 
to  support  his  own.  For  that  purpose  he  set  out  by  stirring 
up  the  potentates  of  the  earth  :  and  as  the  monarchy  of  Rome 
was  at  that  time  exceedingly  powerful,  and  extended  over  a 
great  part  of  the  then  known  world,  his  chief  attempt  was  to 
instil  the  poison  of  his  malice  into  the  minds  of  the  pagan 
Roman  emperors,  and  to  inspire  them  with  the  rankest  hatred 
4 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

against  the  Christian  religion.  To  open  the  scene  of  hfS 
hellish  machinations,  he  made  use  of  the  Emperor  Nero, 
doubtless  a  very  proper  instrument  for  the  work,  as  being 
already  a  monster  of  cruelty  and  vice.  He  freely  drank  the 
poisonous  cup  offered  him  by  the  devil,  and  first  of  all  the 
Roman  monarchs,  drew  his  sword  against  the  Christians. 
Nine  other  general  persecutions  were  raised  by  the  subsequent 
emperors,  of  all  which  we  shall  here  insert  a  brief  account. 

The  first  Persecution  under  Nero. 

This  brutal  prince  had  privately  ordered  the  great  city  of 
Rome  to  be  set  on  fire,  which  reduced  the  greatest  part  of  it 
to  ashes.  Finding  himself  detested  by  the  people,  who  im- 
puted the  mischief  to  him,  in  order  to  clear  himself,  he 
endeavoured  to  transfer  the  odium  upon  the  Christians,  whom 
he  charged  with  being  the  incendiaries,  and  immediately 
began  to  persecute  them  in  the  most  bloody  manner.  Some 
were  wrapt  up  in  skins  of  wild  beasts,  and  so  exposed  to  be 
worried  by  dogs ;  others  were  crucified;  others  burned  alive,  be- 
ing clad  in  coats  dipped  in  pitch  or  brimstone,  that  they  mighi 
serve  as  torches  in  the  night.  The  Church  celebrates  on  the 
24th  of  June,  the  memory  of  all  these  martyrs,  the  first  fruits 
which  heathen  Rome  sent  up  to  heaven.  Before  the  end  of 
this  persecution  suflered  the  two  great  pillars  of  the  Church, 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  at  Rome,  in  the  year  67 ;  the  first  being 
crucified  with  his  head  downwards ;  the  second,  being  a 
Roman  citizen,  Avas  put  to  death  by  the  sword.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  severe  edict  of  Nero,  many  Christians  were 
sacrificed  to  the  fury  of  the  Pagans  in  the  different  provinces 
of  the  Roman  empire. 

The  second  Persecution  under  Domitian 

The  disturbances  in  the  Roman  empire  under  the  em- 
perors Galba,  Otho,  and  Vitellius,  and  the  hum.ane  disposition 
of  Vespasian  and  Titus,  gave  some  rest  to  the  Christians, 
till  Domitian  succeeding,  began  the  second  general  persecu- 
tion. This  emperor,  a  second  Nero  in  cruelty,  instigated  by 
the  malice  of  Satan,  published  in  the  year  95  new  edicts 
throughout  the  empire  against  the  Christians,  by  virtue 
of  which  great  numbers  w^ere  made  victims  of  religion.  In 
Rome,  among  others  he  put  to  death  Flavins  Clemens,  his 
own  cousin-german,  for  being  a  Christian,  and  banished  Cle- 
mens's  wife  Domitilla.  SS.  Nereus  and  Achilleus  suffered 
also  in  this  persecution ;  as  likewise  Antipas,  mentioned  in 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  39 

chap.  ii.  13.  of  the  Apocalypse,  whom  Christ  calls  there 
"  his  faithful  witness."  It  was  by  this  tyrant's  order  that 
St.  John  the  Apostle  was  sent  for  to  Rome,  and  was  cast  into 
a  caldron  of  boiling-  oil,  but  coming  out  more  vigorous  than 
before,  he  was  banished  to  the  isle  of  Patmos, 

The  third  Persecution  under  Trajan, 

The  Christian  religion,  by  the  beginning  of  the  second 
century,  had  prodigiously  increased,  and  spread  itself  through 
a  great  extent  in  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa  ;  and  all  consider- 
able cities  were  governed  by  their  respective  bishops.  Tra- 
jan, the  Roman  emperor,  according  to  the  Pagan  writers, 
was  of  a  mild  temper,  and  possessed  of  many  amiable  quali- 
ties, which  gained  him  from  the  senate  the  title  of  "  Optimus," 
or  "  good  prince."  But  this  glorious  title  received  a  black  and 
indelible  stain  from  the  persecutions  which  he  permitted  to  be 
carried  on  against  the  Christians.  For,  though  he  issued 
out  no  new  edicts  against  them,  he  suffered  the  former  san- 
guinary laws  to  be  executed  in  different  parts  of  the  empire  in 
the  years  106,  107,  &c.  A  clear  instance  of  this  appears  in 
his  answer  to  Pliny  the  younger,  governor  of  Pontus  and 
Bithynia,  who  had  writ  to  know  his  pleasure,  what  should 
be  done  with  the  Christians,  who  were  very  numerous  in  the 
provinces  of  his  government.  Trajan's  answer  was,  "  Let 
the  Christians  not  be  sought  for  ;  but  if  they  be  accused  and 
convicted  as  such,  let  them  be  punished."  The  chief  of  those 
who  gained  the  crown  of  martyrdom  in  his  reign  were,  St. 
Clement,  bishop  of  Rome  ;  St.  Simeon,  bishop  of  Jerusalejn  ; 
St.  Ignatius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  whom  Trajan  himself  con- 
demned and  sent  to  Rome,  there  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  wild 
beasts  in  the  amphitheatre. 

The  fourth  Persecution  under  Marcus  Aurelius. 

The  fourth  persecution  finds  its  place  in  the  reign  of  Mar- 
cus Aurelius,  in  the  year  166,  &c.  Many  Christians  indeed 
had  been  sacrificed  under  the  Emperor  Adrian,  by  virtue  of 
former  laws  remaining  in  force,  but  at  last  he  mitigated  tliem 
by  an  express  order.  Marcus  Aurelius  was  extremely  super- 
stitious ;  and  as  he  also  boasted  of  being  a  philosopher,  he 
was  easily  instigated  by  the  heathen  priests  and  philosophers 
against  the  Christians,  whose  principles  of  religion  and  phi- 
losophy were  so  contrary  to  theirs.  If  Aurelius  issued  out 
no  new  edicts,  he  permitted  at  least  the  governors  of  provinces 
to  put  into  execution  the  laws  subsisting.     And  that  the  per- 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

secution  was  very  violent  and  bloody,  appears  from  the  several 
apologies  presented  to  him  by  St.  Justin,  Melito,  Athenagoras, 
and  Apollinaris,  entreating  him  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  The  same 
is  also  evident  from  the  number  of  those  that  were  crowned 
with  martyrdom.  In  Asia,  St.  Polycarp,  bishop  of  Smyrna, 
was  put  to  death,  and  many  others  about  the  same  time.  At 
Rome  was  beheaded  St.  Justin,  who  wrote  two  apologies  for 
the  Christians.  Several  others  shared  with  him  the  same 
crown.  At  Lyons,  St.  Pothinus  the  bishop,  and  many  of  all 
ages  and  conditions  were,  through  the  most  acute  and  cruel 
torments  conveyed  to  heaven.  At  length  the  emperor  put  an 
end  to  the  persecution  about  the  year  174,  prevailed  upon,  as 
it  is  supposed,  by  the  signal  favour  he  and  his  army,  in  the 
German  war,  received  from  heaven  by  the  prayers  of  the 
Christian  legion.  He  was  shut  up  in  narrow  defiles,  and 
surrounded  by  the  Quadi  and  Marcomanni,  and  his  soldiers 
were  ready  to  perish,  with  excessive  heat  and  thirst.  Under 
these  calamities,  the  Christian  soldiers  humbly  addressed 
themselves  to  God,  who  immediately  sent  a  plentiful  shower 
of  rain,  which  relieved  Aurelius's  army,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  violent  storm  of  hail,  with  dreadful  flashes  of  light- 
ning, upon  the  enemies ;  which  gave  a  complete  victory  to 
the  emperor. 

The,  fifth  Persecution  under  Severus. 

After  the  death  of  Marcus  Aurelius  in  180,  the  Christians 
enjoyed  a  respite  of  tolerable  peace  till  the  reign  of  Severus,  a 
crafty,  treacherous,  and  bloody  prince,  and  by  his  nature  truly 
answering  his  name.  He  at  first  treated  the  Christians  uith 
humanity,  but  was  afterwards  prevailed  upon  by  their  enemies 
to  commence  a  furious  persecution.  He  not  only  suffered  the 
governors  of  the  provinces  to  persecute  the  Christians  by  the 
laws  already  standing,  but  he  gave  out  in  the  year  202  fresh 
edicts,  which  were  executed  with  such  rigour  and  barbarity, 
that  the  faithful  imagined  the  time  of  Antichrist  was  come. 
About  the  ben-inning  of  this  persecution,  Tertullian  wrote  his 
apology  for  the  Christians,  a  masterl}^  work,  in  v;hich  he 
refutes  all  the  calnmnies  published  against  them,  shows  the 
divine  morality  of  their  doctrine,  and  exposes  the  absurdity  of 
the  Pagan  religion.  But  it  docs  not  appear  so  pathetic  an 
address  had  any  effect.  The  fire  of  this  persecution  raged 
through  all  the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire,  but  far  from 
consuming  the  Church  of  Christ,  it  only  served  to  purify  it, 
and  to  make  it  shine  with   greater  lustre.     The  most  illus- 

O 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  41 

trious  victims  immolated  on  this  occasion  were  St.  Victor, 
bishop  of  Rome :  Leonidas,  Origen's  father,  beheaded  at 
Alexandria ;  and  several  of  Origen's  scholars.  St.  Pota- 
miaena,  an  illustrious  virgin,  and  her  mother  Marcella,  after 
various  torments,  were  burned  alive.  SS.  Felicitas  and  Per- 
petua,  the  one  a  noble  lady  in  Mauritania,  and  brought  to  bed 
but  the  day  before  ;  the  other  at  that  time  a  nurse ;  St.  Spera- 
tus  and  his  companions  beheaded  at  Carthage ;  St.  IrenoBus, 
bishop  of  Lyons,  and  many  thousands  of  his  people  martyred 
with  him. 

The  sixth  Persecution  under  Maximinus. 

During  the  space  of  twenty-four  years,  times  were  peace- 
able for  the  Christians,  till  Maximinus  stept  into  the  imperial 
throne  in  235,  a  man  of  base  origin  and  barbarous  nature. 
He  raised  the  sixth  persecution,  chiefly  against  the  bishops 
and  ministers,  and  the  teachers  and  principal  promoters  of 
Christianity.  The  historian  Capitolinus  says  of  him,  that, 
"  never  did  a  more  cruel  beast  tread  on  the  earth."  St.  Pontian, 
pope,  suffered  in  this  persecution,  and  several  others.  Hap- 
pily it  did  not  last  above  two  years,  Maximinus  being  cut  off 
After  a  short  reign. 

The  seventh  Persecution  under  Decius. 

For  ten  years  from  the  death  of  Maximinus  till  the  reign 
of  Decius,  the  Church  enjoyed  a  tolerable  tranquillity  ;  and  as 
Maximinus' s  persecution  was  chieffy  levelled  against  the  pas- 
tors, the  bulk  of  Christians  had  tasted  the  sweets  of  peace  for 
thirty-eight  years.  This  period  of  tranquillity  occasioned,  con- 
formably to  the  bent  of  human  nature,  a  remissness  in  the 
Christians,  and  a  relaxation  in  their  morals:  of  which  St.  Cy- 
prian, who  lived  at  that  time,  grievously  complained.  Almighty 
God,  therefore,  to  punish  their  neglect,  to  revive  their  fervour, 
and  to  try  them  in  a  fiery  crucible,  permitted  a  most  severe 
general  persecution  under  Decius,  in  the  yeaf:S49.  This  sa- 
vage emperor,  seeing  that  Christianity  had  gained  prodigious 
growth  over  the  whole  Roman  empire,  and  that  paganism  on 
that  account  visibly  declined,  was  resolved  to  support  the 
latter  by  effectually  ruining  the  former.  He  therefore  issued 
out  a  cruel  edict  against  the  Christians,  and  sent  it  to  all  the 
governors  of  provinces.  The  Christians  were  immediately 
driven  from  their  houses,  and  stript  of  their  estates ;  whips 
and  prisons,  fires  and  wild  beasts,  scalded  pitch  and  melted 
wax,  sharp  stakes  and  burning  pincers,  were  the  ordinary 
4* 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

instruments  used  for  their  torments.  Slow  tortures  were  par- 
ticularly em.ployed  in  order  to  tire  out  the  patience  of  the 
sufferers.  This  persecution  cro^\^led  at  Rome  Fabian,  pope, 
Abdon  and  Sennen,  and  many  others.  A  great  harvest  of 
martyrs  was  made  at  Carthage:  Appollonia,  with  many 
others,  suffered  at  Alexandria,  as  related  by  St.  Dionysius, 
bishop  of  that  see.  In  the  east  it  SAA'ept  away  Baby  las,  bishop 
of  Antioch  ;  Alexander,  bishop  of  Jerusalemi,  with  thousands 
raore.  Such  was  the  rage  of  the  pagan  magistrates,  that  the 
historian  Nicephorus  declares,  it  would  be  easier  to  count 
the  sands  of  the  sea,  than  to  reckon  up  all  the  martyrs  of  the 
persecution.  Many  Christians  fled  from  the  scene  of  slaughter 
into  the  deserts.  One  of  this  number  was  St.  Paul  of  the 
province  of  Thebais  in  Egypt,  who  became  an  eminent  an- 
choret, and  is  styled  the  first  hermit. 

The  eighth  Persecution  under  Valerian. 

Valerian  being  invested  with  the  imperial  purple,  was  at 
first  very  favourable  to  the  Christians  ;  but  he  suffered  his 
mind  to  be  poisoned  by  the  suggestions  of  magicians,  who 
persuaded  him,  that  to  procure  success  in  his  wars,  and  pros- 
perity to  the  empire,  he  must  render  the  gods  propitious  by 
suppressing  Christianity.  In  this  view  he  issued  out  edicts, 
and  commenced  a  bloody  persecution  in  the  year  257,  which 
lasted  three  years  and  a  half  Some  of  the  chief  martyrs 
were  at  Rome,  St.  Stephen,  pope,  his  successor  St.  Xystus, 
with  St.  Lawrence  his  deacon  ;  St.  Fructuosus,  bishop  of 
Tarragon  in  Spain;  St.  Saturninus,  bishop  of  Toulouse,  and 
St.  Felix  of  Nola.  Many  were  the  holy  victims  in  Egypt, 
as  St.  Dionysius,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  relates.  Violent  also 
was  the  persecution  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  where  many 
suffered  death,  and  many  others  were  condemned  to  work  in 
the  mines :  but  the  most  eminent  of  the  martyrs  in  that  part 
of  the  world  was  St.  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage,  who  had 
so  strenuously  si«pport€d  the  Christian  religion  by  his  writings 
and  example,  and  had  encouraged  others  to  martyrdom  both 
by  his  words  and  letters.  He  had  escaped  the  p^-rsecution  of 
Decius  ;  but  now  he  was  first  banished,  then  beheaded  for  the 
faith,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Carthage. 

The  ninth  Persecution  under  Aurelian. 

The  Emperor  Aurelian,  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign, 
behaved  with  humanity  towards  the  Christians ;  but  being 
strongly  attached  to  idolatrous  worship,  he  at  last  sent  out,  m 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  43 

the  year  274,  violent  edicts  to  exterminate  the  Christian  reli- 
gion :  but  as  he  died  soon  after,  this  persecution  was  short. 
The  principal  victims  it  sent  to  heaven  were :  St.  Felix,  pope  ; 
St.  Mamas,  atCaesarea  in  Cappadocia  ;  St.  Agabitus  in  Italy; 
St.  Savinianus,  bishop  of  Troyes  ;  St.  Reverianus,  bishop  of 
Autun ;  St.  Columba,  virgin,  and  many  others  in  France. 

The  tenth  Persecution  under  Dioclesian. 

The  tenth  and  last  general  persecution,  the  most  severe  and 
most  bloody  of  all,  was  set  on  foot  by  the  Emperor  Dioclesian. 
The  Christian  religion  had  by  this  time  gained  so  much 
ground,  that  in  every  province  of  the  Roman  empire,  and 
even  almost  in  ev^ery  town,  multitudes  professed  it,  and  public 
churches  had  been  built,  where  they  assembled  for  prayer, 
and  other  holy  exercises.  Satan  now  raging  with  envy,  and 
seeing  his  empire  near  expiring,  seemed  to  sunnnon  up  his 
whole  strength,  in  order  to  make  a  last  effort  for  the  support 
of  idolatry,  and  the  destruction  of  Christianity.  He  inspired 
Dioclesian,  and  his  colleague  Maximian,  with  the  most  ranco- 
rous hatred  against  the  Christians.  Dioclesian  published  an 
edict  at  Nicomedia,  in  the  year  303,  ordering  the  churches  to 
be  pulled  down,  and  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  be  burnt.  But 
this  was  only  a  prelude  to  his  subsequent  inhuman  edicts, 
which  presently  deluged  the  Roman  empire  with  Christian 
blood.  Cruelties  hitherto  unheard  of,  and  all  kinds  of  tortures, 
w^ere  employed  upon  the  Christians.  Some  were  hung  with 
their  heads  downwards  and  suffocated  by  slow  fires,  as  in 
Mesopotamia ;  others  were  broiled  upon  gridirons,  as  in  Sy- 
ria. Some  were  slain  by  breaking  their  legs,  as  in  Cappado- 
cia ;  others  had  sharp  reeds  thrust  under  their  nails,  and 
others  melted  lead  poured  upon  them,  as  in  Pontus.  Some 
were  beiieaded  in  Arabia ;  others  devoured  by  wild  beasts  in 
Phoenicia.  In  Egypt  infinite  numbers  suffered;  some  of 
v/hom,  after  being  cruelly  scourged,  racked,  and  having  their 
flesh  torn  off  with  pincers,  or  racked  oft' with  pieces  of  broken 
pots,  were  committed  to  the  fire,  or  thrown  into  the  sea.  In 
Phrygia,  a  populous  city,  consisting  all  of  Christians,  was 
surrounded  by  a  body  of  soldiers,  who  set  fire  to  it,  and  men, 
women,  and  children,  were  all  consumed  in  the  flames.^  In 
fine,  Eusebius  the  historian,  who  was  eye-witness  of  some  of 
these  barbarous  scenes,  says,  that  the  cruelties  exercised 
against  the  Christians  were  innumerable,  and  exceeded  all 
relation.  He  also  adds,  that  the  people  were  not  suffered  to 
buy  or  sell  any  thing,  or  to  draw  water  from  the  public  foun- 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

tains,  without  first  offering  incense  to  idols,  placed  there  for 
that  purpose.  It  would  be  endless  to  reckon  up  the  number 
of  martyrs  of  these  times. 

Thus  was  the  persecution  carried  on  by  Dioclesian  in  the 
East  and  Maximian  in  the  West,  and  afterwards  by  their  suc- 
cessors, for  the  space  of  ten  years,  with  some  interruptions ; 
till  Constantino,  the  first  Christian  emperor,  put  a  stop  to  it 
in  the  year  313,  and  gave  peace  to  the  Church. 

Whoever  desires  a  fuller  account  of  all  these  persecutions, 
may  have  recourse  to  the  writers  of  Ecclesiastical  History, 
Eusebius,  Lactantius  h  mortibus  Persecuiorum,  Tillemont, 
Cave,  &c.  What  has  been  here  said,  explains  sufficiently 
the  meaning  of  the  shower  of  hail  and  fire  mixed  with  blood, 
which  fell  upon  the  Christian  Church,  according  to  the  text 
of  Apocalypse  here  considered. 

And  now  may  we  not,  for  a  moment,  take  a  quiet  view  of 
the  triumph  of  the  Church  over  all  her  enemies  ?  The 
Devil,  like  a  fierce  lion  had  closely  w^atched  her :  and  made 
repeated  furious  attempts  to  devour  her :  but  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Juda  stood  for  her  protection,  and  defeated  all  his 
assaults.  Those  haughty  princes,  the  Roman  emperors,  by 
Satan's  instigation,  bore  down  against  her  with  all  the  weight 
of  their  powder,  to  which  the  faithful  opposed  no  other  arms 
but  patience.  Nevertheless,  the  edifice  of  the  Church  could 
not  be  thrown  down,  because  he  that  built  it  was  himself  the 
corner  stone,  and  had  declared,  it  should  stand  for  ever.  The 
Pagans  persuaded  themselves,  that  by  dint  of  tortures,  and 
severities,  they  could  totally  crush  the  Christians,  and  extin- 
guish their  very  name ;  but  their  expectations  were  frustrated, 
and  they  saw  them  daily  increase  under  those  very  oppres- 
sions. The  more  Christians  they  tortured,  or  put  to  death, 
the  more  converts  were  made  from  the  view  of  such  amazing 
examples  of  fortitude ;  and  the  Christian  blood  they  spilt,  as 
Tertullian  told  them,  was  the  seed  of  new  Christians.  The 
heavy  pressures  the  Church  laboured  under,  served  to  purify 
her  members,  like  gold  in  the  furnace,  and  from  the  fire  of 
persecution  she  rose  up,  like  the  Phoenix,  m.ore  bright  and 
more  vigorous.  The  idolatrous  emperors  of  Rome  looked 
upon  the  Christian  religion  as  a  mere  human  invention,  and 
in  this  lay  their  mistake :  they  were  ignorant  that  the  work 
was  of  divine  construction,  that  it  was  the  new  kingdom  of 
the  God  of  Heaven  which  had  just  been  founded,  and  to  which, 
by  the  eternal  decrees,  all  other  kingdoms  were  to  give  place, 
Dan.  ii.  44.     It  was  the  stone,  foretold  by  the  prophet  Daniel, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  45 

"cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,"  Dan.  ii.  34,  which 
should  break  down  all  preceding  powers,  even  the  great  em- 
pire of  Rome  itself;  that  is,  it  should  destroy  the  empire  of 
idolatry  in  all  nations,  and  reduce  them  to  the  obedience  of  its 
own  laws,  even  Rome  itself,  which  was  to  be  for  a  time  the 
chief  seat  and  fortress  of  idolatry.  "  This  stone,"  pursues  the 
same  prophet,  "  grew  up  into  a  great  mountain,  and  filled  the 
whole  earth,"  Dan.  ii.  35,  which  signifies  that  the  extent  of 
the  Christian  religion  was  to  have  no  other  bounds  but  the 
extremities  of  the  earth.  Such  being  the  solid  foundation  of 
the  Church  laid  by  the  Almighty's  hand,  all  human  efforts 
against  her  must  of  course  prove  vain  and  abortive.  The 
persecutions,  however  violent,  had  no  other  effect  but  to  throw 
a  gloomy  veil  over  her  for  a  while  :  but  that  being  once  re- 
moved, she  appeared  with  new  strength,  and  like  the  sun 
emerging  from  an  eclipse,  she  shone  forth  with  greater  lustre, 
and  spread  her  influence  over  the  whole  earth. 

Prelude  to  the  pouring  out  of  the  seven  Vials. 

^^oc.  chap.  XV.  1.  "And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "another 
sign  in  heaven  great  and  wonderful :  seven  angels,  having 
the  seven  last  plagues ;  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of 
God."* 

Here  is  a  new  vision,  great  and  wonderful,  shown  to  St. 
John :  seven  angels  holding  the  figurative  symbols  of  seven 
plagues  or  scourges,  that  is,  of  seven  dreadful  punishments. 
They  are  called  the  last,  because  in  them  is  filled  up  or  com- 
pleted the  wrath  of  God,  being  inflicted  on  mankind  in  the 
last  period  of  the  world,  which  is  the  period  of  Chiistianity. 
Accordingly,  the  first  of  these  scourges  take  place,  as  we  shall 
see,  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  sera,  and  the 
seventh  puts  an  end  to  the  world. 

V.  2.  "  And  I  saw,"  continues  St.  John,  "as  it  were  a  sea 
of  glass  mingled  with  fire,  and  them  that  had  overcome  the 
beast,  and  his  image,!  ^^^  the  number  of  his  name,  standing 
on  the  sea  of  glass,  having  the  harps  of  God  : 

V.  3.  "  And  singing  the  canticle  of  Moses  the  servant  of 
God,  and  the  canticle  of  the  Lamb,  saying :  Great  and  won- 
derful are  thy  works,  O  Lord  God  Almighty :  just  and  true 
are  thy  ways,  O  King  of  ages.| 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  "having  seven  plagues  the  last,  because  in  them 
was  fulfilled  the  wrath  of  God." 
+  In  the  Greek  is  added,  "  and  his  character." 
■tin  the  Greek,  "king  of  saints." 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  4.  "  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  magnify  thy 
name?  for  thou  only  art  holy.  For  all  nations  shall  come, 
and  shall  adore  in  thy  sight,  because  thy  judgments  are  mani- 
fest." 

By  the  sea  of  glass  is  meant,  as  before  explained,  the  firm.a- 
ment  that  makes  the  floor  of  heaven  ;  which  here  is  said  to 
be  mingled  with  fire,  in  allusion  to  the  persecutions  and  trou- 
bles, which  the  faithful  servants  of  God,  who  are  seen  stand- 
ing on  this  sea,  have  sustained  during  the  whole  course  of  the 
Christian  ages.  For  here,  it  must  be  observed,  we  are  trans- 
ferred to  the  moment  of  time,  when  all  the  seven  scourges  are 
completed  and  past,  which  is  at  the  end  of  the  world.  Sup- 
posing ourselves  therefore  at  that  point  of  time,  we  see  a  great 
body  of  Christian  saints  standing  upon  the  sea  of  glass.  But 
who  in  particular  are  they  ?  Those  who  have  overcome  the 
beast  and  his  image,  and  his  character,  or  mark,  and  the  num- 
ber of  his  name.  By  a  beast  is  generally  meant  an  animal 
that  destroys  mankind,  or  ravages  a  country.  In  allusion  to 
that  idea,  the  beast  here  stands  for  idolatr}"  and  heresy;  both 
which  ahvays  make  great  devastation  and  desolation  in  the 
Church.  Pursuant  to  that  double  meaning  of  the  beast,  its 
image  denotes,  either  the  idols  of  the  pagan  gods,  or  the 
pernicious  tenets  of  heresy.  By  the  character  or  mark  of  the 
beast,  we  may  understand,  either  a  real  distinctive  mark  of 
idolatry  or  heresy,  or  a  special  power  exercised  in  defence  of 
either.  The  number  of  the  name  of  the  beast  is  appropria- 
ted, as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  to  the  fimous  abettor  of  idola- 
try, Antichrist.  Those  Christian  champions,  therefore,  v>'ho 
have  courageously  suffered  death,  or  persecution,  or  other 
tTibulations,  rather  than  join  with  idolatry  or  heresy  under 
any  respect  whatever,  are  here  collected  together  in  heaven, 
holding  in  their  hands  celestial  harps  to  sound  the  praises  of 
God.  They  are  employed  in  singing  the  canticle  of  Moses 
the  servant  of  God,  and  the  canticle  of  the  Lamb ;  the  first 
to  acknowledge  the  poAver  and  justice  of  God  in  the  seven 
terrible  plagues  or  punishments,  which  he  has  inflicted  upon 
their  enemies,  the  idolaters  and  heretics.  Thus  in  that  sense 
they  sing:  GJreat  and  wonderful  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  God 
Almighty.  This  canticle  is  here  said  to  be  the  canticle  of 
Moses  the  servant  of  God,  because  it  bears  the  sense,  and  is 
sung  in  imitation,  of  the  canticle  which  the  Israelites  sung  to 
God,  after  having  passed  the  Red  Sea  under  the  conduct  of 
Moses,  and  seen  their  enemies  perish  in  its  gulf  For  thus 
sung  they ;  "  Let  us  sing  to  the  Lord  ;  for  he  is  gloriously 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  47 

magnified,  the  horse  and  tlie  rider  he  has  thrown  into  the 
sea,"  &c.  Exod.  xv.  1.  To  the  canticle  of  Moses  the  Christ- 
ian saints  immediately  join  the  canticle  of  the  Lamb,  sing- 
ing ;  "  Just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  O  King  of  saints :"  thus 
extolling  his  justice  and  bounty  in  his  dispensations  to  them, 
for  having  subjected  them  to  severe  trials,  having  safely  con- 
ducted them  through  by  his  grace,  and  crowned  them  with 
victory.  Then  they  conclude  their  religious  hymn  in  address- 
ing Almighty  God  thus  :  "  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord, 
and  magnify  thy  name  ?  for  thou  only  art  holy.  For  all  na- 
tions shall  come,  and  shall  adore  in  thy  sight,  because  thy 
judgments,  or  punishments,  on  the  impious  are  manifest." 

From  what  has  been  exhibited  in  this  scene  we  learn,  that 
the  Almighty  is  jealous  of  whatever  injuries  are  offered  to 
his  servants,  and  takes  upon  himself  the  judgment  of  their 
cause.  Though  for  the  proof  of  their  zeal,  and  for  their 
greater  crown,  he  permits  their  enemies  for  a  while  to  exer- 
cise their  tyrannical  power  over  them,  yet  in  his  wisdom  he 
reserves  to  himself  a  time,  in  which  he  will  revenge  the  evils 
done  to  them,  and  severely  punish  their  persecutors.  Not 
only  former  ages  furnish  a  great  number  of  known  instances 
of  such  punishments,  but  the  word  of  God  openly  declares 
such  to  be  the  tenor  of  the  divine  economy.  "Will  not 
God,"  said  our  Saviour,  "  revenge  his  elect  who  cry  to  him 
day  and  night :  and  Avill  he  have  patience  in  their  regard '? 
I  say  to  you  that  he  will  quickly  revenge  them."  Luke  xviii. 
7,  8.     Hence  we  are  prepared  for  what  folio v^s. 

V.  5.  "  And  after  these  things,"  proceeds  St.  John,  "  I  looked 
and  behold  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in 
heaven  was  opened. 

V.  6.  "  And  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple 
having  the  seven  plagues,  clothed  with  clean  and  white  linen, 
and  girt  about  the  breasts  with  golden  girdles." 

Here  the  scene  changes,  and  is  carried  back  to  the  period 
of  time  that  immediately  precedes  the  beginning  of  the  seven 
plagues  or  punishments.  This  removal  of  the  scene  St.  John 
insinuates  by  the  unusual  circumlocution,  "after  these  things 
I  looked  and  behold."  Then  "  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  testimony  in  heaven  was  opened."  St.  John  sees  in  heaven 
a  tabernacle  of  testimony,  similar  in  form  to  the  ancient 
Jewish  tabernacle;  and  the  temple,  that  is,  the  holy  of  holies, 
or  sanctuary  of  this  heavenly  tabernacle,  had  been  shut  up 
on  the  conclusion  of  the  above  canticles,  and  in  it  the  Deity 
with  the  seven  angels :  but  after  a  short  space  of  time,  on  the 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

commencement  of  the  new  scene,  the  temple  or  sanctuary 
opens,  and  presently  come  out  from  the  presence  of  God,  the 
seven  angels  holding  the  seven  plagues,  clothed  in  cleaci  and 
white  linen,  the  emblem  of  the  immortal  glory  they  enjoy; 
and  girt  about  the  breasts  with  golden  girdles,  to  shoAv  that 
they  are  vested  with  the  divine  authority,  and  that  they  are 
actually  proceeding  to  execute  the  work  they  are  charged 
with. 

V.  7.  "And  one  of  the  four  living  creatures  gave  to  the 
seven  angels  seven  golden  vials,  full  of  the  wrath  of  God  who 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

V.  8.  "  And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the 
Majesty  of  God,  and  from  his  power ;  and  no  man  was  able 
to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven 
angels  were  fulfilled." 

Here  the  seven  angels  receive  seven  vials  full  of  the  wrath 
of  God :  upon  the  pouring  out  of  which,  as  we  shall  see, 
follow  the  seven  plagues  or  divine  judgments,  upon  the 
enemies  of  religion.  The  vials  are  given  to  the  angels  by 
one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  that  is,  by  a  prophet,  because 
at  that  time  the  effects  of  the  vials  have  not  happened,  but  are 
to  happen  in  time  to  come,  and  therefore  are  here  announced 
by  the  way  of  prophecy.  Then  the  temple  in  heaven  is  filled 
with  smoke,  manifesting  first,  the  Majesty  of  God  residing 
there ;  secondly,  his  power,  which  he  is  going  to  exert  in  the 
punishment  of  idolaters  and  heretics.  A  similar  scene  to  this 
was  formerly  seen  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  :  "  I  saw,"  says  he, 
"  the  Lord  sitting  upon  a  throne  high  and  elevated. — And  the 
house  was  filled  with  smoke."  Isai.  vi.  1.4,  In  the  present 
case,  such  is  the  overpowering  force  of  tj^ie  smoke,  that  no 
man  is  able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of 
the  seven  angels  be  fulfilled;  or,  no  man,  soul  and  body 
together,  is  able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  the  temple  of  heaven, 
till  the  seven  severe  scourges  of  God  imported  by  the  pouring 
out  of  the  seven  vials,  have  been  inflicted  on  the  enemies  and 
persecutors  of  his  Church.  The  Almighty  by  his  power 
carries  on  his  Church,  through  the  period  of  time  he  thinks 
fit  to  allot  it,  and  in  its  progress  punisheth  its  opposers  and 
enemies.  When  that  period  of  time  finishes,  and  the  seven 
vials  are  poured  out,  and  the  punishments  executed,  then  fol- 
lows the  general  judgment;  after  which,  the  saints  will  enter 
soul  and  body  into  the  temple  of  heaven.  Almighty  God  is 
patient  in  his  anger,  and  waits  for  the  conversion  of  his 
undutiful  and  rebellious  children,  but  their  obstinacy  arms  at 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  49 

last  his  justice,  and  compels  him  to  strike.  "  The  Lord  is  a 
jealous  God,"  says  the  prophet,  "and  a  revenger;  the  Lord  is 
a  revenger  and'^  has  wrath:  The  Lord  takes  vengeance 
on  his  adversaries,  and  he  is  angry  with  his  enemies." 
Nahum,  i.  2. 

Apoc.  chap.  xvi.  1.  "And  I  heard,"  continues  St.  John, 
"  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying  to  the  seven  angels : 
Go,  and  pour  out  the  seven  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon 
the  earth." 

A  great  voice  is  heard  from  out  of  the  temple  or  sanctuary, 
as  coming  from  God  who  resides  there:  and  delivering  this 
order  to  the  seven  angels  who  hold  the  seven  vials :  "Go 
and  pour  out  the  seven  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the 
earth" 

Conformably  to  the  remarks  we  made  before  the  opening 
of  the  seals,  and  before  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets,  pp.  32  and 
3.5,  so  here,  before  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials,  appears  another 
"scene  of  passing  from  the  Jewish  establishment  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church:  the  Jewish  tabernacle  with  its  sanctuary  repre- 
sented in  heaven,  being  left  by  the  angels  going  forth  to  pour 
out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  belong  to  the 
Christian  age. 

The  pouring  out  of  the  first  Vial  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

V.  2.  "  And  the  first  (Angel)  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial 
upon  the  earth,  and  there  fell  a  sore  and  grievous  wound  upon 
men,  who  had  the  character  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them  that 
adored  the  image  thereof" 

Let  us  begin  with  observing  that  as  at  the  sounding  of  the 
first  trumpet  the  shower  of  hail,  fire,  and  blood,  fell  upon  the 
earth,  that  is,  on  the  good  part  of  the  earth,  or  the  Christian 
Church,  so  here  the  first  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God  is  like\vise 
poured  out  upon  the  earth,  that  is,  upon  the  guilty  part  of  the 
world,  or  the  persecutors  of  the  Christians.  The  sore  and 
grievous  wound  here  inflicted,  means  a  grievous  punishment, 
which  falls  upon  those  who  have  the  character  or  mark  of  the 
beast,  that  is,  on  the  pagan  emperors  of  Rome  and  their  govern- 
ors of  the  Roman  provinces,  as  they  bore  in  a  special  manner 
the  mark  of  the  beast  or  of  idolatry,  by  employing  their  whole 
power  in  the  support  of  it,  and  in  persecuting  the  Christian 
religion.  The  same  punishment  also  falls  upon  tho«e  who 
adore  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  is,  on  the  idolatrous  people 
of  the  Roman  empire.  The  Roman  state  was  the  principal 
seat  and  bulwark  of  idolatry.  Hence  the  pouring  out  of  the 
5 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

first  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God  announces  the  divine  judgment 
on  the  monarchs  of  Rome  and  their  subjects,  for  their  support- 
ing idolatry,  an  abomination  so  odious  to  God,  and  for  perse- 
cuting his  Church  and  his  people.  How  this  was  fulfilled, 
the  following  short  account  will  discover: 

Nero,  the  first  Roman  emperor  that  im.briied  his  hands  in 
Christian  blood,  had  by  his  cruelties  made  himself  the  detest- 
ation of  mankind.  The  people  of  Rome  would  no  longer 
bear  with  him ;  his  armies  revolted  from  him  and  set  up  a  new 
emperor.  He  was  deserted  by  his  own  guards,  and  the 
Romaa  senate  pronounced  sentence  of  death  against  him. 
In  this  desperate  and  forlorn  condition  he  fled  from  Rome 
into  the  country,  to  a  house  belonging  to  his  freedman,  where, 
by  the  help  of  others,  not  having  resolution  himself,  he  got 
himself  despatched  with  daggers.  Thus  fell  Nero  a  victim 
to  the  vengeance  of  God. 

But  heaven  was  not  appeased  with  this  sole  victim.  The 
weight  of  divine  justice,  conformably  to  the  tenor  of  the  vial, 
fell  also  upon  the  whole  Roman  state,  which  was  torn  to  pieces 
by  intestine  convulsions.  Galba  succeeded  Nero:  bul  soon  after 
rose  up  Otho,  who  got  himself  proclaimed  emperor  by  the 
soldiers  Galba  was  murdered  in  the  Forum,  and  the  people 
were  trampled  under  foot  in  the  streets  of  Rome  by  the  brutal 
soldiers.  During  these  troubles  in  the  city,  the  Roman 
legions  in  Germany,  created  their  commander  Vitellius  em- 
peror. This  new  contest  between  two  competitors  could  not 
be  decided  but  by  the  sword,  and  the  blood  of  many  thousands 
of  Romans.  Four  considerable  battles  were  fought  within 
the  space  of  a  few  months,  which  gave  the  empire  to  Vitellius. 
But  that  same  year  the  Roman  armies  in  the  east  vested  their 
own  commander  Vespasian  with  the  imperial  purple  in  oppo- 
sition to  Vitellius.  This  continued  the  civil  war,  and  a  battle 
was  fought  between  the  two  parties  at  the  gates  of  Rome,  in 
which  the  Vitellians  lost  the  day.  Rome  was  made  a  scene  of 
slaughter,  being  taken  and  ravaged  by  its  own  subjects,  and 
the  Capitol  was  laid  in  ashes 

Eight  years  after  this  calamity  sprung  up  a  fresh  one. 
Such  a  terrible  plague  infected  the  city  of  Rome,  that  accord- 
ing to  Eusebius  it  swept  away  ten  thousand  inhabitants  in  a 
day  for  several  days  together. 

Domitian,  the  second  persecutor,  felt  also  the  weight  of 
divine  anger.  His  own  friends  and  domestics,  with  his  wife 
Domitia,  conspired  against  him  and  slew  him.  And  after 
his  death  the  senate  of  Rome  rescinded  all  his  edicts,  ordered 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHrRCH.  51 

all  his  statues  to  be  pulled  down,  his  name  to  be  erasea  m  all 
the  public  registers,  and  never  more  to  be  mentioned. 

The  emperors  Trajan,  Adrian,  and  Marcus  Aurelius,  having 
rather  tolerated  than  raised  persecution,  escaped  such  visible 
judgments.  But  the  empire  itself  felt  the  dismal  effects  of 
the  Christian  blood  that  had  been  spilt  during  these  reigns. 
In  the  eighteenth  year  of  Trajan  there  happened  a  prodi- 
gious earthquake,  which  was  almost  general  in  the  East,  but 
Syria  chiefly  suffered.  Many  great  towns  were  ruined.  In 
the  city  of  Antioch,  where  the  Emperor  Trajan  then  resided, 
almost  all  the  buildings  were  thrown  down,  and  many  thou- 
sands of  people  lost  their  lives;  the  emperor  himself  narrowly 
escaping  by  leaping  out  of  a  window.  In  the  second  year  of 
Marcus  Aurelius  the  Tiber  overflowed  a  considerable  part 
of  Rome,  carried  away  a  multitude  of  people  and  cattle, 
ruined  the  country,  and  caused  an  extreme  famine.  This 
inundation  was  followed  by  swarms  of  insects,  which  devoured 
all  that  the  flood  had  spared.  Four  years  after,  Lucius  Verus 
coming  victorious  from  the  Parthian  war,  brought  the  plague 
along  with  him,  which  communicated  the  contagion  to  all  the 
Roman  provinces  through  which  he  passed,  and  carried  off 
multitudes  of  people. 

Severus,  the  fifth  persecutor,  among  other  misfortunes,  had 
for  son  Antoninus  Caracalla,  a  most  vicious  prince,  who 
attempted  to  take  away  his  father's  life  by  stabbing  him  with 
his  own  hand,  but  was  prevented  by  some  that  were  present. 
This  behaviour  of  his  son  threw  Severus  into  a  deep  melan- 
choly, which  put  an  end  to  his  life.  The  hand  of  vengeance 
pursued  even  his  children.  Caracalla  murdered  his  brother 
Geta,  and  he  himself  underwent  the  same  fate,  which  extin- 
guished the  family. 

Maximinus,  the  sixth  persecutor,  became  odious  to  the  whole 
empire  for  his  cruelties  and  his  avarice.  Africa  rebelled 
against  him.  The  senate  of  Rome  declared  him  an  enemy 
to  the  state,  and  set  up  new  emperors  against  him.  He  was 
so  detested,  that  while  he  was  besieging  the  city  of  Aquileia, 
his  own  soldiers  fell  upon  him  in  his  tent,  slew  both  him  and 
his  son,  sent  their  heads  to  Rome,  and  left  their  bodies  to  be 
devoured  by  dogs  and  birds  of  prey. 

During  the  short  reign  of  Maximinus,  neither  the  city  of 
Rome  nor  the  provinces  were  free  from  wars,  tumults,  mur- 
ders, and  all  sorts  of  calamities. 

Decius  the  emperor,  an  execrable  beast,  as  Lactantius  styles 
him,  in  his  war  with  the  Goths  being  attacked  by  them,  and 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

seeing-  his  eldest  son  killed  before  his  face,  and  a  great  part  of 
his  army  cut  off,  in  despair  ran  into  a  deep  bog  where  he 
perished.  His  body  was  not  allowed  common  burial,  but 
exposed  to  be  devoured  by  the  beasts  of  the  earth  and  the 
birds  of  the  air. 

The  horrible  persecution  in  this  emperor's  reign  seemed  to 
rouse  up  afresh  the  indignation  of  heaven.  The  Roman  state 
was  harassed  by  great  wars  and  desolation  from  the  Goths 
and  other  barbarous  northern  nations  ;  and  likewise  by  a 
dreadful  pestilence,  which  spread  itself  over  all  the  provinces, 
and  lasted  ten  years,  destroying  incredible  numbers  of  people. 
In  the  first  year  of  the  Emperor  Gallus,  Decius's  successor, 
who  continued  the  persecution,  the  plague  raged  more  furi- 
ously than  ever,  particularly  at  Carthage  in  Africa.  There 
vast  multitudes  were  swept  away  every  day,  and  the  streets 
were  filled  with  the  carcasses  of  the  dead.  St.  Cyprian,  bishop 
of  that  city,  wrote  on  this  occasion  his  book  on  the  Mortality, 
or  Pestilence,  to  comfort  and  encourage  his  own  flock  under 
the  general  calamity,  and  he  zealously  exhorted  them  not  to 
be  wanting  in  giving  all  assistance  possible  to  the  infected, 
though  pagans  and  their  declared  enemies.  He  also  wrote  at 
this  time  to  Demetrianus,  a  magistrate  of  Carthage,  repre- 
senting to  him  that  these  evils  were  not,  as  the  pagans  pre- 
tended, punishments  inflicted  upon  them  by  their  gods  for 
their  permitting  the  growth  of  Christianity;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, that  they  were  real  punishments  sent  from  the  true  God 
of  heaven  and  earth  for  their  cruelties  to  the  Christians.  St. 
Cyprian  tells  him:  "Never  do  we  see  the  Christian  name 
persecuted  but  we  see  the  divine  vengeance  soon  follows.  Of 
this  we  have  a  recent  example,  when  so  quick  and  so  rem.arka- 
ble  a  judgment  lately  appeared  in  the  violent  death  of  the 
kings,  (meaningDecius  and  his  son,)  in  the  great  devastations 
made  by  the  enemies,  and  the  ruin  of  the  Roman  army." 

Valerian,  the  eighth  cruel  persecutor  of  the  Christians,  ia 
his  war  with  the  Persians  was  taken  prisoner  by  Sapor,  their 
King,  who  treated  him  with  the  utmost  indignity,  so  far  as  to 
make  him,  who  had  but  just  before  been  the  greatest  monarch 
in  the  world,  to  bow  down  and  serve  as  a  footstool  to  him,  the 
king  to  get  on  horseback.  After  keeping  him  seven  years  in 
this  wretched  slavery,  Sapor  ordered  that  his  eyes  should  be 
pulled  out,  then  that  he  should  be  t^ayed  alive,  and  his  skin 
hung  up  as  a  trophy  in  one  of  the  Persian  temples. 

After  Valerian's  persecution,  heaven  and  earth  seemed  to 
conspire  in  the  destruction  of  the  Roman  empire.     Earth- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  53 

quakes  overthrew  cities,  and  destroyed  great  numbers  of 
people.  The  sea  overswelled  its  boundaries,  and  broke  into 
many  continents,  drowning  countries,  cities,  and  people ;  and 
so  violent  a  pestilence  raged,  that  in  Rome  no  less  than  five 
thousand  persons  died  in  a  day.  Besides  this,  the  whole  em- 
pire was  invaded  on  all  sides,  A  body  of  Germans  crossed 
the  Alps  and  broke  into  Italy.  Another  body  of  the  same 
enemies  wasted  Gaul  and  entered  Spain.  The  Goths  and 
Scythians  ravaged  Pontus  and  great  part  of  lesser  Asia ; 
and  in  Europe,  all  Greece,  Macedon,  and  their  confines.  The 
Quadi  and  Sarmatians  seized  on  Dacia  and  Pannonia ;  and 
the  Persians  and  Parthians  took  possession  of  Mesopotamia 
and  a  great  part  of  Syria.  To  complete  these  disasters,  there 
rose  up  thirty  tyrants,  who,  assuming  the  title  of  emperors,  set 
up  in  opposition  to  one  another  and  to  the  reigning  emperor 
Gallienus,  which  occasioned  the  empire  to  be  more  harassed 
and  oppressed  by  its  own  intestine  broils  than  by  foreign 
devastations.  These  disasters  had  been  foretold  in  the  time  of 
the  persecution  by  the  holy  Martyr,  St.  Marian,  when  he  was 
carried  to  execution.  He  announced  them  as  a  scourge  im- 
pending on  the  state  for  the  innocent  blood  that  was  spilt  of 
the  Christians. 

The  Emperor  Aurelian,  another  persecutor,  was  assassina- 
ted by  his  own  secretary  and  some  others,  who  had  formed  a 
conspiracy  against  him. 

Dioclesian,  the  tenth  persecutor,  was  compelled  by  Galerius, 
whom  he  had  created  Csesar,  to  resign  to  him  the  empire, 
and  retire  himself  to  a  private  life.  Afterwards  he  had  the 
mortification  to  learn,  that  Constantino,  who  was  become 
emperor,  had  pulled  down  his  statues.  His  wife  and  daugh- 
ter were  also  put  to  death  by  Licinius.  These  disgraces,  and 
the  load  of  guilt  that  hung  upon  him,  operated  so  strongly  on 
his  mind,  that  he  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep.  He  sighed  and 
groaned  continually,  often  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  sometimes 
tumbling  himself  on  his  bed,  and  sometimes  on  the  ground. 
Thus  he  who  governed  the  world  for  twenty  years,  as  Lactan- 
tius  observes,  was  reduced  to  so  miserable  a  condition,  that 
he  finished  his  life  by  hunger  and  grief.  This  happened  in 
the  year  312. 

Maximian,  Dioclesian's  colleague  in  the  empire  and  in  the 
persecution,  had  been  also  obliged  to  abdicate.  He  made 
several  attempts  to  resume  the  purple,  but  seeing  them  all 
defeated,  he  hanged  himself 

The  succeeding  emperors,  Galerius,  Maxentius,  Maximinus 
5* 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Daia,  and  Licinius,  endeavouring  to  carry  on  the  persecution 
begun  by  Dioclcsian  and  Maximian,  met  also  with  their  due 
punishment.     And  first, 

The  hand  of  God  was  very  visible  upon  the  abominable 
Galerius,  who  had  taken  so  much  pains  to  instigate  Diocle- 
sian  against  the  Christians.  He  was  struck  with  a  dreadful 
disease.  An  ulcer  consumed  the  lower  parts  of  his  belly, 
and  laid  open  his  very  bowels.  He  was  devoured  by  vermin, 
and  the  whole  mass  of  his  body  putrified.  The  stench  that 
came  from  him  was  intolerable.  His  pains  were  so  violent, 
that  he  roared  out,  and  often  attempted  to  kill  himself  In 
these  agonies  he  seemed  to  acknowledge  the  hand  that  lay 
over  him,  and  m  order  to  avert  it,  he  published  an  edict  in 
favour  of  the  Christians.  But  heaven  did  not  relent :  and  his 
distemper  increasing,  in  a  few  days  put  a  period  to  his  life. 

Maxentius  was  routed  in  a  battle  he  fought  with  Constan- 
tino on  the  banks  of  the  Tyber.  As  he  was  crossing  that 
river  in  his  flight,  the  bridge  gave  way  with  the  weight  of 
the  crowd,  and  he  was  drowned. 

Maximinus  Daia  being  upon  the  point  of  engaging  in  bat- 
tle with  Licinius,  made  a  vow  to  Jupiter,  that  if  he  got  the 
victory,  he  w^ould  extinguish  the  very  name  of  Christian. 
His  army  was  totally  defeated  by  a  much  lesser  number : 
upon  which  he  threw  away  his  imperial  robe,  and  fled  in  the 
habit  of  a  slave.  He  made  different  eflbrts  to  retrieve  him- 
self, but  not  succeeding,  he  resolved  to  make  away  with 
himself  For  that  purpose  he  eat  and  drank  to  great  excess, 
but  this  not  effecting  it,  he  took  poison,  which  burnt  him 
within,  and  threw  him  into  such  a  phrenzy  that  he  eat  com- 
mon earth.  His  pains  became  so  intolerable,  that  he  ran  his 
head  against  the  wall  with  such  violence  that  his  eyes  started 
out.  In  the  end  he  acknowledged  the  justice  of  his  punish- 
ment for  his  cruelly  to  the  Christians,  and  in  the  most  exquisite 
torments  he  breathed  out  his  last. 

We  learn  from  Lactantius,  that  not  only  the  forementioned 
persecutors  were  all  crushed  by  a  superior  power,  but  that 
their  whole  race  was  also  cut  off  The  same  fate,  in  like 
manner,  attended  many  of  the  governors,  of  the  Roman  pro- 
vinces, who  had  so  willingly  concurred  in  executing  the  cruel 
and  bloody  statutes  of  the  emperors  for  the  extirpation  of 
Christianity.  The  provinces  of  the  east,  where  Maximinus 
commanded,  had  also  shared  in  the  disasters  that  usually 
followed  persecution.  A  dreadful  famine  and  plague  had 
spread  through  them  a  universal  desolation. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  55 

At  the  death  of  Maximinus  Daia  in  313,  Licinius  remain- 
ed master  in  the  east.  Constantine,  who  had  reigned  for  some 
years  as  emperor  in  the  west,  being  a  Christian,  or  disposing 
himself  to  be  so,  prevailed  upon  Licinius  to  join  with  him  in 
publishing  an  edict,  which  superseded  all  persecution,  and 
granted  fiill  libert}'-  and  peace  to  Christians.  This  happy 
time  lasted  till  the  year  319,  when  Licinius  altering  his  con- 
duct, commenced  a  new  persecution,  and  in  323  renewed  the 
war  he  had  before  waged  with  Constantine,  Licinius  was 
vanquished  both  by  sea  and  land,  and  upon  his  submission 
was  allowed  to  retire  to  Thessalonica ;  but  as  he  still  medita- 
ted new  disturbance,  he  was  put  to  death  by  Constantino's 
orders  in  the  year  324. 

Thus  then  at  last  a  period  was  put  to  the  troubles  of 
the  Christians.  Religion  triumphed  over  every  obstruction, 
which  the  idolatrous  powers  had  opposed  to  it.  The  Chris- 
tian Constantine  reigned  sole  emperor:  and  here  is  dated  the 
remarkable  epocha  of  the  peace  and  triumph  of  the  Church 
of  Christ. 

What  has  been  said  seems  to  show  sufficiently  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  text  under  consideration,  that  is,  the  severe 
judgments  that  fell  upon  the  Roman  emperors  and  the  people 
of  the  empire,  for  their  supporting  idolatry,  and  persecuting 
the  true  worship  of  God.  However,  the  hand  of  God  did 
not  stop  here,  nor  was  it  satisfied  with  the  slaughter  of  the 
great  victims  we  have  seen,  nor  with  the  large  measure  of 
calamities  we  have  described.  We  shall  see  in  the  sequel  the 
most  astonishing  stroke,  by  which  the  divine  vengeance  was 
at  last  completed.  This  was  the  subversion  of  the  great 
Roman  empire,  and  total  destruction  of  Pagan  Rome  itself. 

Notwithstanding  the  preceding  explanation  of  the  text,  we 
shall  beg  leave,  in  order  to  elucidate  it  the  more,  to  add  some- 
thing further,  particularly  the  cessation  of  the  pagan  oracles, 
which  chiefly  happened  in  this  first  age.  Christ  came  into  the 
world  not  only  to  subdue  all  earthly  powers  by  bringing  them 
under  the  yoke  of  his  doctrine,  but  also  to  conquer  the  devil, 
and  to  break  down  the  dominion  he  had  usurped  over  man- 
kind. This  we  learn  from  our  Saviour  himself,  who  said: 
•'  Now  is  the  judgment  of  the  world ;  now  shall  the  prince  of 
this  world,  the  devil,  be  cast  out."  John  xii.  31.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  devil  had  long  deluded  mankind  by  the  ora- 
cles which  he  pretended  to  deliver  by  the  mouths  of  the  idols, 
or  their  priests.  Many  of  the  answers  thus  pronounced  as 
oracles,   were  undoubtedly  mere   inventions   of  the   pagan 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

priests  themselves  who  by  such  artifices  imposed  upon  the 
ignorant.  But  the  holy  fathers  and  ancient  ecclesiastical  wri- 
ters agree,  that  the  demons  themselves  often  spoke  through  the 
idols,  and  uttered  predictions,  which,  whether  true  or  false, 
could  always,  on  account  of  their  obscurity  and  ambiguity,  be 
interpreted  conformable  to  the  events.  All  these  oracular 
powers,  even  the  most  celebrated,  were  observed  to  decline 
after  our  Saviour's  coming  into  the  world  and  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  and  by  degrees  entirely  ceased  giving  any 
more  answers.  Thus  speaks  the  historian  Eusebius,  who 
flourished  in  the  reign  of  Constantine  the  Great :  "  A  great 
proof  of  the  imbecility  of  the  demons  is,  that  their  oracles  are 
extinct,  and  give  no  more  answers  as  formerly,  and  that  this 
happened  about  the  time  of  the  coming  of  our  Saviour;  for  as 
soon  as  his  doctrine  was  preached  throughout  the  world,  the 
oracles  then  ceased."  Dem.  Evang.  lib.  5.  The  pagan  wri- 
ters themselves  universally  complain,  that  their  gods  had 
forsaken  their  temples,  and  that  their  votaries  did  in  vain 
solicit  their  counsels.  Julian  the  apostate  owns,  "  that  the 
gods  now  a  days  seldom  inspire  any  of  their  ministers,  nor  can 
any  one  scarce  obtain  that  inspiration ;  but  oracles,  like  other 
things,  seem  to  alter  with  the  revolution  of  times."  Apud 
S.  Cyrill.  lib.  6.  contra  Julian.  Even  the  most  celebrated 
oracle  of  Apollo  at  Delphos,  some  time  before  our  Saviour's 
birth,  had  lost  much  of  its  credit,  and  after  his  appearance  it 
entirely  sunk  away.  Thus  speaks  Juvenal  of  it  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  second  century.  Sat.  6. 

-Delphis  oracula  cessant. 


Now  the  Delphian  oracles  are  dumb. 

Dryden's  Transl. 


Thus  also  wrote  the  poet  Lucan,  a  little  after  the  middle  of 
the  first  century,  lib.  5. 


-Non  ullo  saecula  dono 


Nostra  carent  majore  Deum,  quam  Delphica  sedes  quod  filuit. 
Of  all  the  wants  with  which  this  age  is  curst, 
The  Delphic  silence  surely  is  the  worst. 

Rowe's  Transl. 

Plutarch  wrote  an  express  treatise  to  account  for  the  silence 
of  oracles.  He  employs  arguments  founded  on  natural,  mo- 
ral, and  political  causes,  but  all  his  philosophy  proved  insuf- 
ficient to  give  a  satisfactory  reason.  That  this  silence  was 
solely  owing  to  the  dominion  of  Christ,  and  the  establishment 
of  his  religion,  is  avowed  even  by  some  of  the  pagans  them- 
selves.    Porphyry,  an  inveterate  enemy  to  Christianity,  who 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  S^ 

lived  towards  the  end  of  the  third  century,  says :  "  It  is  no 
wonder  if  the  city  for  so  many  years  has  been  aflicted  with 
sickness,  -^sculapius,  and  the  rest  of  the  gods,  having  with- 
drawn their  former  commerce  with  mankind  ;  for  since  Jesus 
has  begun  to  be  worshipped,  no  one  has  received  any  public 
help  from  the  gods."  Euseb.  Prasp.  Evang.  lib.  5.  On  this 
subject  see  also  Cave  and  others.  The  holy  fathers  are  una- 
nimous in  their  opinion,  that  the  superior  power  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  imposed  silence  on  the  devil,  shut  up  the  mouths 
of  his  priests  and  priestesses,  and  gieatlj  abridged  his  in- 
fluence in  seducing  mankind.  Visible  examples  are  not  want- 
ing in  confirmation  of  this  truth.  St.  Gregory  of  Nyssa  re- 
lates, that  St.  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  having  entered  a  hea- 
thenish temple  famous  for  oracles,  purified  it  by  the  sign  of  the 
cross  and  prayer,  and  compelled  the  demon  that  resided  there 
to  leave  the  place.  This  the  demon  himself  confessed  to  his 
votaries.  We  also  learn  from  St.  Chrysostom,  Theodoret,  So- 
zomen,  and  others,  that  at  Dunhue,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Antioch,  there  was  a  temple  dedicated  to  Apollo,  much  cele- 
brated for  its  oracles ;  but  that  the  body  of  the  holy  martyr, 
St,  Babylas,  being  brought  and  laid  in  a  church  near  the  place, 
Apollo  was  instantly  struck  dumb.  Thus  was  the  devil  com- 
pelled to  yield  to  a  force  he  had  not  felt  before.  It  was  cer- 
tainly fit,  that,  when  the  Son  of  God,  appeared  on  the  earth, 
then  Satan  should  be  obliged  to  withdraw,  and  his  impostures 
give  place  to  the  light  of  truth. 

But  it  ought  to  be  here  observed,  that  this  silencing  of  Sa- 
tan was  only  a  small  part  of  the  victory  which  Christ  claimed 
over  him.  The  whole  system  of  idolatry,  which  that  enemy 
of  God  had  introduced  into  the  world,  was  now  by  the  propa- 
gation of  the  Christian  faith  shaken  to  the  very  foundation, 
and  in  a  little  time  tumbled  wholly  to  pieces.  It  was  what  the 
Almighty  had  long  before  announced  by  his  prophets.  Thus 
speaks  Isaias :  "  In  that  day  the  Lord  shall  be  exalted  alone, 
and  the  idols  shall  be  utterly  destroyed."  Isai.  ii.  17,  18. 
"  The  Lord  shall  consume  all  the  gods  of  the  earth,"  says 
another  prophet,  Sophon.  ii.  11.  In  proportion  as  the  Chris- 
tian religion  was  made  known,  the  absurdity  and  impiety  of 
idolatrous  worship  became  manifest,  the  idols  Avere  thrown 
down,  the  fictitious  deities  they  represented  were  scofied  at  and 
ridiculed,  and  their  ministers  treated  with  the  utmost  contempt. 
In  the  same  measure  that  He,  who  is  the  "  Light  of  the  world," 
spread  his  influence,  with  the  same  speed  the  "Spirit  of  dark- 
ness" fled  away,  and  retired  into  obscurity. 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

By  degrees  the  devil's  power  was  so  weakened,  that  the 
meanest  Christian  could  by  a  word  expel  him  from  those 
miserable  creatures  he  tyrannically  possessed,  and  force  him  to 
acknowledge  with  confusion,  that  he  was  a  rebel  angel,  an 
enemy  to  God.  This  practice  is  fully  attested  by  St.  Justin, 
St.  Irenseus,  TertuUian,  St.  Cyprian,  and  all  the  primitive  fa- 
thers, and  was  common  in  the  three  first  centuries  of  the 
church.  Nor  was  this  power  of  the  Christians  over  the  devil 
to  be  wondered  at,  as  it  was  founded  on  Christ,  who  had  given 
his  word  for  it.  "  These  signs,"  says  he,  "  shall  follow  them 
that  believe :  In  my  name  they  shall  cast  out  devils."  Mark 
xvi.  17. 

Facts  similar  to  those  above  related  are  seen  at  this  day  in 
the  idolatrous  nations  of  the  East  Indies,  where  the  devil  has 
maintained  for  a  long  time  a  settled  worship  and  dominion.  It 
is  common  there  to  see  persons  possessed,  which  he  manages 
according  to  his  will,  and  through  their  mouths  delivers  his 
oracles,  and  answers  the  questions  put  to  him  by  his  votaries. 
It  is  indeed  no  matter  of  surprise  that  the  devil  enjoys  so 
much  power  in  places  where  he  is  personally  worshipped. 
But  at  the  same  time  there  is  seen  the  same  virtue  and  efficacy 
residing  in  the  Christian  and  Catholic  religion,  as  in  the  pri- 
mitive ages.  The  persons  possessed  are  delivered  from  the 
evil  spirit  by  the  prayers  or  command  of  the  Christians,  and 
his  influence  is  observed  to  decline  as  the  gospel  gains  ground. 
These  facts  are  certified  by  unquestionable  testimonies  of  the 
Catholic  missionaries  residing  in  those  countries,  who  are 
daily  eye-witnesses  of  them.  See  Lettres  Curieuses  et  Edi- 
fiantes. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FIRST  AGE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

The  first  seal,  trumpet,  and  vial,  have  exhibited  a  general 
descriptions  of  the  first  preaching  of  the  Christian  religion,  the 
persecution  that  attended  it,  and  the  divine  vengeance  on  the 
authors  of  these  persecutions.  But  as  the  history  of  the 
church  is  highly  interesting  during  this  first  age,  or  first  three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  69 

centuries,  in  which  it  took  its  birth  and  obtained  its  establish- 
ment, Christ  is  pleased  to  disclose  to  us,  in  chap.  xii.  of  the 
Apocalypse,  more  circumstances  belonging  to  this  period,  and 
unfolds  the  origin  of  all  obstructions  put  to  the  propagation 
of  the  Christian  religion,  the  agents  employed  for  that  pur- 
pose with  the  progress  of  their  machinations  and  efforts  for 
the  support  of  idolatry,  and  for  suppressing  the  worship  of 
God  and  Christ. 

A'poc.  chap.  xii.  l .  "  And  a  great  sign  appeared  in  heaven : 
a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
and  on  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars. 

V.  2.  "  And  being  wnth  child,  she  cried  travailing  in  birth, 
and  was  in  pain  to  be  delivered." 

Here  is  a  "  great  sign"  or  a  noble  figurative  representation 
of  the  Christian  Church.  She  appears  "  in  heaven,"  as  draw- 
ing her  origin  from  heaven,  by  her  Author,  the  son  of  God: 
and  she  is  represented  under  the  form  of  a  "  woman,  clothed 
with  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,"  the  most  splendid  raiment  the 
whole  compass  of  nature  can  furnish.  She  is  clothed  with  the 
sun,  as  shining  with  the  brightness  of  her  sanctity,  and  with 
the  glory  of  her  spouse,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  "  Sun  of 
Justice."  Mai.  iv.  2  She  holds  the  "  moon  under  her  feet," 
as  victorious  over  all  sublunary  beings,  over  all  earthly  powers, 
and  worldly  charms.  She  bears  on  her  head  "a  crown  of 
twelve  stars,"  denoting  the  twelve  apostles,  who,  after  Christ 
her  "  Sun,"  make  her  principal  ornament.  She  appears  in 
labour,  and  suffering  the  excruciating  pangs  of  child-bed  in 
her  first  bringing  forth  children  to  Christ :  such  are  the  strug- 
gles, and  such  are  the  difficulties,  that  obstruct  the  birth  of 
Christianity,  or  the  first  propagation  of  the  Christian  faith. 
On  one  side  human  laws,  human  passions,  the  general  depra- 
vity of  mankind,  the  pleasures  of  life :  on  the  other  side,  the 
Jews,  the  Pagans,  all  conspire  to  fight  against  her.  But  par- 
ticularly : 

V.  3.  "  And  there  was  seen  another  sign  in  heaven :  and 
behold  a  great  red  dragon,  having  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns, 
and  on  his  head  seven  diadems. 

V.  4.  "And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  cast  them  to  the  earth  :  and  the  dragon  stood  before  the 
woman  who  w^as  ready  to  be  delivered  ;  that  when  she  should 
be  delivered,  he  might  devour  her  son." 

Here  the  woman,  or  the  Christian  Church,  sees  her  chief 
enemy,  the  great  red  or  cruel  dragon,  which  is  the  arch-devil 
Satan,  as  St.  John  explains  it  below,  verse  9th ;  and  it  appears 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

in  heaven,  or  the  upper  region,  because  Satan  draws  his  origin 
from  above,  having  been  formerly  a  bright  angel.  This  great 
dragon  has  seven  heads,  and  upon  each  a  diadem  or  crown, 
the  types  of  seven  emperors  of  pagan  Rome,  whom  Satan 
actuates  and  employs  as  his  chief  agents  to  oppose  the  rise  of 
the  Christian  religion,  and  to  maintain  his  own  idolatrous- 
worship.  That  such  is  the  meaning  of  the  heads,  we  learn 
from  the  explication  given  by  the  angel,  chap.  xvii.  9,  of  the 
Apocalypse  :  "  The  seven  heads,"  says  the  angel,  "  are  seven 
mountains — And  they  are  seven  kings.''  Ancient  Rome  be- 
ing here  clearly  indicated  as  it  was  built  on  seven  mountains. 
The  seven  kings  or  emperors  here  pointed  at  seem  to  be,  Nero, 
Domitian,  Severus,  Decius,  Valerian,  Dioclesian,  and  Anti- 
christ, as  being  the  principal  and  distinguished  persecutors  of 
the  Christian  Church.  The  dragon  had  also  ten  horns  deno- 
ting ten  provinces,  into  which  the  whole  Roman  empire  is 
here  divided.  The  horns  therefore  being  animated  by  the  dra- 
gon as  well  as  the  heads,  the  governors  of  the  Roman  pro- 
vinces, and  the  people,  will  be  also  instigated  by  the  devil  to 
persecute  the  Church  of  Christ. 

It  was  said  that  the  dragon  with  his  tail  drew  the  third  part 
of  the  stars  of  heaven,  that  is,  the  apostate  angels  whom  he 
had  seduced,  and  he  cast  them  to  the  earth,  to  be  there  em- 
ployed in  seducing  mankind.  But  the  greatest  part  of  them 
were  precipitated  down  into  the  infernal  dungeons,  according 
to  that  of  St.  Jude:  "  The  angels  who  kept  not  their  princi- 
pality, but  forsook  their  own  habitation,  he  hath  reserved 
under  darkness  in  everlasting  chains  unto  the  judgment  of 
the  great  day."  Ep.  v.  6.  The  dragon  himself  stood  before  the 
woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delierved :  that  when  sheshould 
be  delivered,  he  might  devour  her  son.  Satan  seeing  his  em- 
pire of  idolatry  in  danger  of  being  dissolved  by  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Christian  religion,  resolves  to  crush  this  in  its  ori- 
gin, by  stirring  up  the  whole  Roman  power  against  it,  and 
thus  to  devour  the  woman's  offspring  in  its  birth. 

V.  5.  "And  she,  the  woman,  brought  forth  a  man-child, 
who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  an  iron  rod :  and  her  son 
was  taken  up  to  God,  and  to  his  throne."  The  woman  brings 
forth  a  man-child,  that  is,  a  masculine  race  of  Christians,  a 
progeny  of  holy  champions,  who  in  conjunction  with  Christ 
their  head,  are  to  rule  all  nations  with  an  iron  rod  by  a  par- 
ticipation of  his  power,  which  he  has  promised  them  after  the 
victory  in  their  conflicts  with  the  dragon.  "  He  that  shall 
overcome,  says  Christ,  and  keep  my  works  unto  the  end,  I 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  61 

will  give  him  power  over  the  nations,  and  shall  rule  them 
with  a  rod  of  iron."  Apoc.  ii.  26,  27.  For  such  is  the  power 
he  himself  exercises  over  the  impious  part  of  mankind,  as 
St.  John  tells  us.  "  He  shall  rule  the  nations  with  a  rod  of 
iron."  Apoc.  xix.  15.  which  had  been  attributed  to  him  even 
long  before.  "  Thou  shalt  rule  them,  (the  nations)  with  a  rod 
of  iron,  and  shalt  break  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel." 
Psal.  ii.  9.  The  Almighty  Son  of  God  breaks  down  empires, 
dissolves  states,  strikes  princes,  destroys  people  that  pre- 
sume to  contend  with  him.  And  "  her  son  was  taken  up  to 
God,  and  to  his  throne;"  part  of  the  woman's  offspring,  or  a 
considerable  number  of  the  Christians,  when  put  to  the  trial 
in  the  persecutions,  generously  laid  down  their  lives  for  Christ 
their  Lord  and  master,  and  thus  triumphing  over  the  dragon, 
instead  of  falling  a  prey  to  him,  are  carried  up  to  heaven  to 
God  and  to  his  throne,  where  they  are  associated  with  him  in 
power  and  judgment,  according  to  what  we  have  just  above 
seen,  and  according  to  this  other  promise :  "  To  him  that  shall 
overcome,"  says  Christ,  "  I  will  give  to  sit  with  me  in  my 
throne  ;  as  I  also  have  overcome,  and  am  set  down  with  my 
Father  in  his  throne."     Apoc.  iii.  21. 

V.  6.  "  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she 
had  a  place  prepared  by  God,  that  there  they  should  feed  her 
a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days." 

During  the  cruel  persecutions,  which  the  devil  stirred 
up  against  the  woman,  or  the  Christian  Church,  by  his  in- 
struments the  heathen  Roman  emperors  and  njagistrates, 
many  of  the  Christians  fled  for  shelter  into  the  deserts,  to  in- 
accessible mountains,  and  other  lurking  places,  as  we  learn 
from  the  holy  fathers  and  historians  of  those  times.  Great 
multitudes  in  particular  sought  for  refuge  in  the  catacombs, 
at  Rome,  and  in  many  other  places.  These  subterraneous 
caverns,  termed  catacombs,  are  so  prodigiously  extensive, 
branching  out  into  innumerable  streets  which  stretch  to  a 
great  distance,  especially  at  Rome,  that  they  may  be  properly 
called  a  city  under  ground.  The  Christians  lay  concealed  in 
these  dark  and  dismal  retreats,  which  though  originally  made 
for  other  purposes,  were  a  place  prepared  by  God,  were  de- 
signed by  him  for  a  place  of  reception  to  his  persecuted  ser- 
vants. In  these  various  desolate  abodes  the  Christians,  though 
in  appearance  destitute  of  all  human  succour,  were  neverthe- 
less fed  and  supported  by  a  special  divine  providence  for  the 
cpace  of  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  or  three  years 
and  a  half,  which  was  the  utmost  duration  of  any  of  the  Ro- 
6 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

man  persecutions ;  some  of  which  did  not  fill  that  period,  none 
exceeded  it. 

V.  7.  "  And  there  was  a  great  battle  in  heaven :  Michael 
and  his  angels  fought  with  the  dragon,  and  the  dragon  fought 
and  his  angels : 

V.  8.  "  And  they  prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place 
found  any  more  in  heaven. 

V.  9.  "  And  that  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  ser- 
pent,  who  is  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  who  seduceth  the 
w^hole  world :  and  he  was  cast  unto  the  earth,  and  his  angels 
were  thrown  down  with  him." 

The  dragon,  or  Satan,  had  with  onreleiiting  malice  stimu- 
lated the  whole  Roman  power  against  the  Christians  by  suc- 
cessive dreadful  persecutions,  as  we  have  seen :  bttt  still  he 
saw  all  his  efforts  baffled.  Notwithstanding  the  immei>se 
slaughter  that  had  been  made,  he  found  he  could  not  extirpate 
the  woman's  offspring,  it  was  so  powerfully  protected,  and 
supported  by  the  divine  hand  :  and  he  furthermore  saw  with 
deep  regret,  and  to  his  confusion,  that  the  blood  of  the  mar- 
tyrs became  the  seed  of  the  new  Christians,  and  increased 
their  number.  The  infernal  spirit  determines  therefore  to  try 
another  expedient ;  in  pursuance  of  which  he  presumes  to 
address  the  Almighty,  challenging  him  to  withdraw  his  hand 
and  suspend  the  extraordinary  helps  by  which  he  supported 
his  people,  and  then  it  Avould  soon  appear  that  the  Christians 
had  no  real  zeal  or  fortitude,  but  would  soon  abandon  their 
God  and  the  interests  of  religion.  Such  are  his  malicious 
insinuations,  to  get  the  Christians  wholly  into  his  power. 
The  same  kind  of  artifice  the  malicious  spirit  ha-d  formerly 
practised  against  the  holy  man.  Job.  Thus  Satan  accused 
him  before  God:  "  Doth  Job  fear  God  m  vain?  Hast  thou 
not  made  a  fence  for  him  and  his  house,  and  all  his  substance 
round  about,  and  blessed  the  work  of  his  hands,  and  his  pos- 
session hath  increased  on  the  earth  ?"     Job  i.  9,  10. 

After  thus  enumerating  God's  blessings  upon  Job,  the  evil 
spirit  thus  pursues:  "  But  stretch  forth  tby  hand  a  little,  and 
touch  all  that  he  hath,  and  see  if  he  bltsseth  thee  not  to  thy 
face,"  as  above,  ver.  1 1  ;  that  is  suspend  thy  favours,  and  with- 
draw all  that  thou  hast  given  him,  and  see  then  if  he  does  not 
fly  in  thy  face.  But  to  return  to  our  own  subject :  TheAlmighty 
refusing  to  grant  Satan  his  present  request,  and  not  being 
willing  to  suffer  him  any  more  to  approach  his  throne  with 
accusations  against  his  people,  orders  the  archangel,  Michael, 
the  protector  of  the  Christian  Church,  to  banish  Satan  utterly 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  63 

from  the  heavenly  regions :  upon  which  a  fierce  battle  ensues 
between  St.  Michael,  assisted  by  an  army  of  angels,  and  Satan 
with  his  associates.  These  latter  are  worsted,  and  cast  down 
to  the  earth.     Upon  which, 

V.  10.  "And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  in  heaven,  saying: 
Now  is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  oui 
God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ ;  because  the  accuser  of  our 
brethren  is  cast  forth,  who  accused  them  before  our  God  day 
and  night." 

Upon  the  victory  of  St.  Michael  over  Satan  there  follows 
joy  and  acclamation  of  the  Christian  saints  in  heaven,  say- 
ing: "  Now  is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom 
of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ,"  &c. :  now  the  Al- 
mighty has  displayed  his  power,  has  assumed  victory  and 
dominion,  and  has  ascertained  the  reign  of  Jesus,  his  Christ : 
for  now  we  see  Satan  foiled,  and  no  more  permitted  to  appear 
before  the  throne  of  God  with  accusations  against  our  brethren 
on  earth,  as  he  was  wonted  to  do. 

V.  11.  "And  they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony,  and  they  loved  not 
their  lives  unto  death. 

V.  12.  "  Therefore,  rejoice,  O  heavens,  and  you  thai  dwell 
therein." 

The  saints  in  heaven  thus  continue  their  exultation,  for  the 
fortitude  and  constancy  of  their  brethren,  who  by  virtue  of  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  that  is,  by  virtue  of  the  plentiful  graces 
purchased  for  them  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  had  gene- 
rously bore  testimony  to,  and  laid  down  their  lives  for,  that 
fiiith  which  Satan  endeavoured  to  extirpate,  and  thus  had 
overcome  him.  Therefore,  rejoice,  O  heavens,  for  these  new 
illustrious  inhabitants,  and  rejoice  you  that  dwell  therein,  for 
your  new  happy  associates.  Thus  is  celebrated  the  double 
victory  ;  that  of  St.  Michael,  and  that  of  the  Martyrs,  over  the 
devil.     But  on  the  other  hand, 

V.  12.  "  Wo  to  the  earth  and  to  the  sea,  because  the  devil 
is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  knowing  that  he 
hath  but  a  short  time." 

A  terrifying  alarm  is  here  proclaimed  to  the  earth  and  sea, 
lliat  is,  to  the  Christians  wherever  they  be,  because  the  devil, 
now  utterly  expelled  from  heaven,  is  come  down  in  great 
Avrath,  to  exercise  anew  his  fury  against  them.  The  Almighty 
had  rejected  the  fiend's  malicious  suggestion  of  withdrawing 
his  powerful  graces  and  protection  from  his  people,  but  by  an 
unsearchable  determination  of  his  infinite  Avisdom,  permits 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIA^N  CHURCH. 

Satan  to  raise  a  fresh  persecution,  mnch  more  terrible  than 
any  before.  This  is  the  persecution  of  the  Emperor  Diode- 
sian  ;  in  which,  as  it  was  to  be  the  last,  the  dragon  poured  out 
his  utmost  venom  and  rage,  as  knowing  that  he  had  but  a 
short  time  left  him. 

V.  13.  "  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto 
the  earth,  he  perfecuted  the  woman,  who  brought  forth  the 
man-child." 

And  no  sooner  did  this  persecution  begin  to  break  out,  but, 

V.  14.  "  And  there  were  given  to  the  woman  two  wings  of 
a  great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  desert  unto  her 
place  ;  where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half 
a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent." 

Here  the  woman,  or  the  general  body  of  the  Christians, 
seeing  the  storm  rising,  betake  themselves  again  to  their  for- 
mer retreats  in  the  deserts,  the  catacombs,  and  other  lurking 
places.  And  as  the  violence  of  this  exceeded  that  of  all  pre- 
ceding persecutions,  so  is  the  woman  furnished  with  two 
wings  of  a  great  eagle  to  enable  her  to  fly  with  more  strength 
and  swiftness,  that  is,  she  is  favoured  in  her  flight  with  a  more 
special  protection  and  assistance  from  God :  in  a  similar 
manner  to  what  the  Israelites  experienced,  when  the  Almighty 
saved  them  from  the  fury  of  the  Egyptians :  "  You  have 
seen,"  said  God  to  his  people,  "  what  1  have  done  to  the 
Egyptians:  how  I  have  carried  you  on  the  wings  of  eagles 
and  have  taken  you  to  myself"  Exod.  xix.  4.  But  further 
more,  Divine  Providence  fails  not  to  nourish  or  provide  with 
spiritual  and  corporal  food  the  Christians  in  their  desolate 
abodes,  where  they  are  obliged  to  remain  for  a  time,  and 
times,  and  half  a  time,  that  is  a  year,  two  years,  and  half  a 
year,  or  three  years  and  a  half;  the  utmost  period  of  any  one 
part  of  this  persecution,  which  indeed  in  the  whole  lasted  ten 
years,  from  303  to  313,  but  with  some  interruptions. 

V.  15.  "And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth,  after  the 
M'oman,  water,  as  it  were  a  river  ;  that  he  might  cause  her  to 
be  carried  away  by  the  river." 

And  now  the  serpent  or  devil,  in  his  full  rage  against  the 
woman,  or  Christian  Church,  resolves  to  overwhelm  her,  if 
possible.  For  that  purpose  lie  casts  out  of  his  mouth  after  her  a 
flood  or  river  of  water  ;  he  raises  a  more  cruel  and  bloody  per- 
secution, than  had  ever  been  known,  throtigh  the  whole  Roman 
empire,  actuating  the  emperors  and  governors  of  the  provinces 
with  the  most  implacable  rancour  and  most  savage  fury  against 
the  Christians,  who  for  ten  years  together  hud  little  respite 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  65 

The  persecuting  emperors  were,  Dioclesian,  Galerius,  Maxi- 
mian,  Maxentius,  and  Maximinus  Daia,  some  of  whom  reigned 
at  the  same  time  in  different  parts  of  the  empire.  Dioclesian 
and  Galerius,  began  the  persecution  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
empire  in  303.  It  was  continued  for  three  years  and  a  half; 
while  Maximian  carried  on  the  same  bloody  work  in  the  west, 
•'  At  this  time  the  whole  earth  was  harassed  aiid  tormented," 
says  Lactantius,  "  and  three  most  cruel  beasts"  (namely, 
Dioclesian,  Galerius,  and  Maximian)  "raged  every  where 
from  east  to  west,  exoept  in  Gaul,"  where  Constantius  Chlorus 
governed  and  checked  very  much  the  violence  of  the  perse- 
cution. The  Christians  were  diligently  sought  for;  some 
were  discovered  and  dragged  from  their  lurking  places;  and 
the  cruelties  and  barbarities  exercised  in  this  persecution  ex- 
ceeded all  description.  "  If  I  had  a  hundred  tongues,"  says 
again  Lactantius,  "  and  a  hundred  mouths,  I  should  not  be 
able  to  recount  all  the  different  torments  that  were  employed 
against  the  Christians."  De  mort.  Pers.  c.  16.  After  some 
respite,  the  persecution  was  renewed  in  Italy  by  Maxentius  in 
308  ;  and  it  raged  most  violently  in  the  east  under  the  orders 
of  the  Emperor  Maximinus  Daia,  the  most  sanguinary  tyrant, 
as  St.  Jerome  styles  him,  that  ever  persecuted  the  Church. 
His  inhumanity  and  barbarity  in  torturing  the  martyrs  sur- 
passed every  thing  that  had  been  practised  before.  This 
bloody  scene  lasted  also  about  three  years  and  a  half;  and 
after  a  short  interval  of  rest,  the  same  implacable  tyrant 
revived  it  in  312,  but  the  next  year  he  himself  miserably 
perished. 

This  was  a  long  and  severe  trial,  which  it  pleased  Al- 
mighty God  in  his  wisdom  to  subject  his  people  to ;  but  he 
had  fixed  the  bounds  of  it,  and  now  he  sends  an  unexpected 
relief 

y.  16.  "And  the  earth  helped  the  woman,  says  St.  John, 
and  the  earth  opened  her  mouth;  and  svvallow^ed  up  the  river, 
which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth." 

The  woman  was  helped  by  the  earth,  that  is,  by  a  prince  of 
the  earth,  Constantine  the  Great,  v^-ho  came  to  her  succour, 
and  became  the  first  Christian  Emperor  of  Rome.  Upon  the 
demise  of  his  father  Constantius  Chlorus,  who  died  in  Great 
Britain,  Constantine  was  there  proclaimed  emperor  in  306. 
His  first  care  was,  though  not  yet  a  Christian,  to  prohibit  all 
persecution  in  the  western  provinces  which  were  under  his 
dominion.  He  even  wrote  to  his  colleagues,  the  other  empe- 
rors, advising  the  same,  upon  which  they  suspended  their 
6* 


66  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

persecution  but  soon  renewed  it.  Constantine  marched  against 
the  tyrant  Maxentius,  who  had  declared  war  against  him  : 
hut  before  the  encounter,  by  a  special  revelation  he  erected 
the  standard  of  the  Cross  at  the  head  of  his  anny,  making  It 
his  chief  ensign.  For  he  saw  in  the  sky  a  cross  of  light 
wnth  this  inscription  :  "  In  this  shalt  thou  conquer."  And 
effectually  under  its  auspices  he  defeated  the  tyrant  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Rome  in  the  year  312.  Maxentius  in  his 
flight  being  drowned  in  the  Tyber,  Constantine  entered  Rome 
in  triumph,  and  was  declared  by  the  senate  the  first  of  the 
emperors.  The  consequence  of  this  victory  was  the  restora- 
tion of  peace  to  the  Christians  throughout  the  whole  western 
Roman  empire.  Maximinus  in  the  east,  after  being  van- 
quished by  Licinius,  having  put  an  end  to  his  own  life  in  313, 
there  remained  but  two  emperors,  Constantine  w'ho  governed 
in  the  west,  and  Licinius  in  the  east.  They  both  concurred, 
though  Licinius  was  a  pagan,  to  publish  an  edict,  that  sup- 
pressed all  persecution  in  the  eastern  empire,  and  granted  full 
liberty  to  the  Christian  religion.  Thus  at  last,  by  human 
help,  under  the  divine  concurrence  and  direction,  the  sunshine 
of  peace  was  restored  to  the  Church  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  the  Roman  dominions.  And  thus  it  appears  how^ 
"the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  river, 
which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth." 

V.  17.  "And  the  dragon  was  angry  against  the  woman: 
and  went  to  make  w^ar  with  the  rest  of  her  seed,  who  keep  the 
commandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

No  wonder  the  dragon,  or  devil,  was  angry  against  the 
woman,  seeing  that,  instead  of  his  destroying  her,  she  had 
defeated  him  ;  and  that  she  was  now  entirely  rescued  from 
nis  power,  and  under  the  protection  of  a  prince,  upon  whom 
he  could  have  no  influence.  He  was  further  enraged,  to  see 
his  own  power  crushed,  his  reign  of  idolatry  expiring,  his 
agents,  the  heathen  Roman  princes  exterminated,  and  now 
Christianity  established  through  the  whole  em.pire,  that  is, 
through  the  greater  part  of  the  then  known  world.  He  had 
with  infinite  regret  seen  himself  driven  by  Constantine  from 
the  western  boundaries  of  the  empire  to  its  utmost  limits  in 
the  east.  Satan  thus  overcome,  but  still  swelling  with  rage 
and  malice  against  the  woman,  leaves  the  Roman  dominions, 
and  flies  into  the  kingdom  of  Persia,  there  to  continue  his 
hellish  work  in  making  war  with  the  rest  of  the  woman's 
seed,  the  servants  of  God,  who  keep  his  commandments,  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  67 

bear  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ.  There  he  finds  new  instru- 
ments fit  for  his  purpose,  the  barbarous  heathen  kings  of  that 
country,  whom  he  soon  excites  with  fury  against  the  woman's 
seed. 

A  most  horrible  persecution  \\^s  set  on  foot  by  the  cruel 
tyrant,  Sapor  II.,  which  raged  during  forty  years  without 
intermission,  from  the  year  340  to  his  death  in  380.  St.  Ma- 
ruthas,  bishop  of  Tagril  in  Mesopotamia,  near  the  borders  of 
Persia,  compiled  the  acts  of  many  of  the  martyrs  who  suffered 
in  this  persecution ;  and  the  historian  Sozomen,  speaking  of 
them,  says :  "  It  would  be  difficult  to  give  an  exact  account  ot 
them,  to  specify  their  names,  their  countries,  their  torments, 
and  the  new  invented  cruelties  exercised  upon  them  :  I  shall 
only  say,  it  is  assured  that  sixteen  thousand  men  and  women 
suffered,  whose  names  were  known,  and  so  many  others,  that 
their  number  could  not  be  ascertained."  Lib.  ii.  14.  Forty 
years  after,  viz.  in  420,  the  persecution  was  recommenced  by 
king  Isdegerdes,  and  continued  under  his  successors  for  thir- 
ty years.  The  brutal  inhumanity  used  in  torturing  the  mar- 
tyrs at  this  time,  is  thus  described  by  the  historian  Theodo- 
ret :  "  Some  had  the  skin  torn  off  their  hands,  others  off  their 
backs,  and  others  from  their  forehead  down  to  the  chin.  Some 
had  split  reeds  tied  round  them  very  fast,  which  being  plucked 
away  with  violence  brought  the  skin  along  with  them,  and 
occasioned  exquisite  torment  Sometimes  the  persecutors  dug 
holes  in  the  earth,  which  they  stored  with  rats  and  mice,  then 
shut  up  the  Christians  in  them  after  tj^ing  their  hands  and 
feet,  and  left  them  to  be  devoured  by  the  vermin.  The  ene- 
my of  God  and  man  suggested  to  them  several  other  more 
barbarous  kinds  of  torture  which  they  employed  upon  the 
holy  men,  but  none  could  shake  their  constancy."  Lib.  v. 
c.  39. 

Chosroes  II.  king  of  PersiEL,  was  also  a  bitter  enemy  to 
Christianity.  When  his  army  took  and  plundered  Jerusa- 
lem in  the  year  614,  many  thousands  of  clerks,  monks,  nuns, 
and  virgins,  were  cruelly  massacred,  ninety  thousands  Chris- 
tians were  sold  for  slaves  to  the  Jews,  and  afterwards  many 
of  them  were  tortured  and  slain.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
year  628,  the  king  ordered  sixty-nine  Christians  to  be  stran- 
gled in  one  day.  But  this  idolatrous  king  and  tyrant  was 
defeated  in  several  battles  by  Heraclius,  emperor  of  Constan- 
tinople, to  whom  he  had  before  refused  peace,  unless  the  em- 
peror would  renounce  Jesus  Christ,  and  adore  the  sun.  Chos- 
roes was  afterwards  put  to  death  in  628  by  his  own  son  Siroes, 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

who  stopped  all  persecution,  and  made  peace  with  Heraclius ; 
and  within  the  space  of  a  few  years  Persia  was  conquered  by 
the  Saracens. 

The  machinations  of  Satan,  the  indefatig'able  supporter  of 
idolatry  against  the  Christian  Church  of  Persia  were  now 
quashed,  and  no  room  was  there  left  for  further  attempts  by 
the  means  of  idolatrous  princes.  Resolving  therefore  to  leave 
that  country,  Satan  steps  to  the  confines  of  it. 

V.  18.  "  And  he  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea."*  He 
stops  upon  the  shore  of  the  Persian  sea,  probably  meditating 
a  flight  into  some  new  country,  Avhere  he  may  still  prosecute 
his  implacable  hatred  against  the  woman's  seed.     But  behold, 

A'poc.  chap.  XX.  1.  "And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "an 
angel  coming  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand. 

V.  2.  "  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  the  old  serpent, 
which  is  the  devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  for  a  thousand 
years. 

V.  3.  "  And  he  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut 
him  up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him,  that  he  shuold  no  more  se- 
duce the  nations,  till  the  thousand  years  be  finished.  And 
after  that  he  must  be  loosed  for  a  time." 

An  angel  descends  from  heaven,  who  seizes  the  dragon, 
or  Satan,  upon  the  sea  shore  where  he  stood,  binds  him  with 
a  chain,  casts  him  into  the  abyss  or  bottomless  pit  of  hell,  and 
shuts  him  up  there  for  a  thousand  years ;  not  precisely  for 
that  number  of  years,  but  for  the  whole  period  of  his  confine- 
ment, here  expressed  in  the  round  number  of  a  thousand 
years  :  which  confinement  is  to  last  to  the  time  of  Antichrist, 
in  the  latter  days  of  the  world,  when  Satan  will  again  be  let 
loose  for  a  little  time. 

Here  then  the  Almighty  is  pleased  to  put  a  stop  to  Satan's 
power.  This  happened  in  the  seventh  century.  His  reign 
had  been  of  long  duration,  and  infinite  mischief  he  had  done. 
He  is  the  dragon  that  drew  down  with  him  the  third  part  of 
the  stars  of  heaven,  or  was  the  chief  of  the  angels  that  fell, 
and  is  their  prince  in  the  infernal  kingdom.  He  is  here  also 
styled  the  old  serpent,  as  being  the  same  that  seduced  Eve  in 
Paradise,  and  consequently  a  murderer  from  the  beginning. 
This  inveterate  enemy  of  God  and  man  seduces  the  whole 
world,  and  had  done  it,  by  withdrawing  the  greatest  part  of 

♦In  the  common  Greek  text,  "And  I  stood,"  &c.  but  the  reading  of  the 
Vulgate  is  confirmed  by  the  Alexandrian  manuscript,  by  the  Synac  and 
Arabic  versions,  by  Tichonius,  and  the  edition  of  Aldas. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  69 

mankind  from  their  obedience  and  duty  to  God,  and  bringing 
them  over  lo  himself,  by  setting  up  the  banner  of  idolatry. 
This  abominable  worship  of  the  devil  had  subsisted  a  long 
time,  but  was  at  last  to  be  suppressed  by  Him  who  came  to 
enlighten  the  world,  and  said  :  "  Now  shall  the  prince  of  this 
world,  Satan,  be  cast  out."  John  xii.  31.  At  the  rise  there- 
fore of  Christianity,  Satan  perceiving  his  kingdom  shaken, 
set  all  engines  to  work  for  the  support  of  idolatry,  and  to  stop 
the  progress  of  the  gospel :  and  in  this  attempt  he  caused  to 
be  spilt  an  ocean  of  Christian  blood.  He  had  been  suffered 
to  proceed  so  far  ;  but  now  the  term  decreed  by  the  Almighty 
is  come,  and  Satan  is  chained  up  in  prison.  From  the  tim.e 
of  his  confinement,  idolatry,  of  which  he  is  the  parent  and 
chief  supporter,  fell,  and  the  Church  was  freed  from  those  ex- 
treme severities  of  persecution  it  felt  before,  and  experienced 
less  opposition  in  extending  its  faith  and  doctrine.  This  may 
be  seen  in  the  history  of  the  church.  From  the  time  even 
that  Satan  was  forced  to  retreat  from  the  Roman  empire  into 
Persia,  the  Christian  religion  made  rapid  progress  in  all  the 
provinces  of  that  empire,  and  stretched  gradually  into  many 
countries  beyond  them ;  till  at  last  its  growth  became  stupen- 
dous, and  the  church  shone,  like  a  bright  sun,  over  the  most 
part  of  the  known  world. 

Let  it  be  here  also  observed,  that,  notwithstanding  the  im- 
prisonment of  Satan,  prince  of  the  bad  angels,  we  must  not 
conclude  that  all  the  devil's  power  was  then  superseded. 
Many  of  his  chief  subjects  were  probably  shut  up  with  him, 
but  many  also,  though  of  inferior  power,  were  permitted  to  re- 
main on  earth  to  tempt  mankind  and  to  exercise  their  virtue. 
St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  4.  "  And  I  saw  seats :  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and 
judgment  was  given  unto  them,  and  the  souls  of  them  that 
were  beheaded  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of 
God,  and  who  had  not  adored  the  beast,  nor  his  image,  nor 
received  his  character  on  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands, 
and  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years. 

■V.  5.  "The  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not,*  till  the  thousand 
years  were  finished.     This  is  the  first  resurrection." 

St.  John  sees  seats  given  to  the  souls  of  those  who  had 
been  beheaded  or  suffered  martyrdom  for  the  testimony  they 
had  given  to  Jesus  and  to  his  holy  religion,  and  for  the  word 
of  God,  or  for  the  observance  of  the  law  of  God.  Seats  are 
also  given  to  those,  who  had  not  adored  the  beast,  nor  his 

♦  In  the  Greek  text,  "revived  not." 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

image,  that  is,  who  had  not  given  into  idolatry  or  heresy,  see 
page  46:  likewise  to  those,  who  had  not  received  the  beast's 
character  on  their  foreheads  or  in  their  hands,  that  is,  who 
did  not  bear  any  particular  mark  or  office  appertaining  to 
idolaters  or  heretics,  nor  used  any  contrivance  to  make  them- 
selves pass  for  such.  For  it  must  be  observed  that,  in"  the 
heat  of  persecution,  many  Christians,  to  shelter  themselves, 
would  basely  buy  from  the  heathen  magistrates  certificates  of 
their  having  sacrificed  to  idols,  w^ien  they  had  not  done  it ; 
others  would  eat  of  the  meats  that  had  been  offered  to  idols  ; 
others  delivered  up  the  holy  scriptures,  &c.  St.  John  sees 
the  souls  of  all  the  above-mentioned  foithfuJ  and  courageous 
Christians  seated  in  dignity,  and  allowed  power  of  judging ; 
which  means  that  they  sit  as  judges  with  Christ  b}^  a  partici- 
pation of  his  power,  which  he  graciously  communicates  to 
them,  according  to  his  promise  ;  "  To  him  that  shall  over- 
come, I  will  give  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,"  Apoc.  iii.  21. 
And  they  lived  and  reigned  Avith  Christ  a  thousand  years, 
that  is,  their  souls  immediately  on  leaving  their  bodies  were 
admitted  to  heavenly  bliss,  and  reign  w'ith  Christ  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  or  for  that  period  of  time  which  is  counted  from 
their  departure  out  of  this  world  to  the  general  judgment, 
when  their  bodies  will  be  reunited  to  them.  And  this  admis- 
sion of  their  souls  into  glory  without  their  bodies  is  called 
the  first  resurrection.  But  the  souls  of  the  others,  who  w^ere 
guilty  of  any  of  the  above-named  crimes,  lived  not  the  life  of 
the  before-mentioned  happy  souls,  but  were  condemned  to 
hell-flames  which  is  the  first  death.  Nor  will  they  revive  or 
recover  life  till  the  thousand  years  be  finished  at  the  general 
resurrection,  when  they  will  indeed  be  drawn  for  a  moment 
out  of  the  infernal  pit  and  be  reunited  to  their  bodies,  but  to  be 
replunged  together  into  eternal  damnation,  which  is  the  second 
death.  In  like  manner,  when  at  the  last  day  the  bodies  of 
the  just  are  made  partners  with  their  sou's  in  bliss,  that  may 
be  termed  the  second  resurrection.  We  see  here  inculcated 
that  known  maxim  of  the  Christian  religion;  that  the  souls 
of  the  just  w^ho  die  in  thj  Lord,  enter  into  heavenly  glory, 
though  their  bodies  do  not  particijiate  of  it  till  after  the  gene- 
ral resurrection  :  and  the  same  holds  with  regard  to  the  pu- 
nishment of  the  souls  of  the  wicked. 

V.  6.  "  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 
resurrection  In  these,  the  second  death  hath  no  power  :  but 
they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ :  and  shall  reign 
with  him  a  thousand  years." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  71 

Here,  all  those  are  pronounced  blessed  and  holy,  who  have 
part  in  the  first  resurrection,  or  whose  souls  are  admitted  to 
bliss  after  their  decease,  because  in  them  the  second  death  hath 
no  power,  that  is,  because  they  are  in  no  danger  of  damnation 
or  second  death  at  the  last  judgment.  Their  souls,  from  the 
moment  of  their  admission  into  heaven,  become  priests  of  God 
and  of  Christ,  by  being  empowered  to  offer  before  the  throne 
of  God  and  Christ  their  pure  sacrifices  of  homage,  praise, 
and  thanksgiving,  and  will  reign  with  him,  God,  and  Christ, 
for  a  thousand  years,  that  is,  as  St.  Austin  says,  "for  all  the 
years  to  the  end  of  the  world,"  De  Civit.  xx.  7. ;  at  which  time 
their  bodies  will  be  joined  with  them  in  the  same  beatitude. 

From  the  abov^e  passages  of  the  Apocalypse  misunderstood, 
some  ancients  inferred  that  the  saints  will  rise  again  to  life  a 
thousand  years  before  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  in  their  souls 
and  bodies  will  reign  with  Christ  upon  earth  during  that 
spaceof  time,  inthe  enjoyment  of  all  lawful  sensual  pleasures. 
This  opinion  is  called  the  Millenarian  system ;  which,  instead 
of  having  any  foundation  in  the  present  text,  is  refuted  by  it. 
For  St.  John  here  speaks  of  the  happiness  of  the  souls  only, 
of  those  who  were  beheaded,  &c.  without  hinting  the  least  at 
the  state  of  their  bodies.  Whence  it  appears,  that  by  the  first 
resurrection  the  apostle  understands  the  glory  of  heaven, 
into  which  the  just  enter  after  their  death,  and  which  they 
will  enjoy  for  a  thousand  years,  that  is,  during  the  whole 
course  of  time  to  the  general  resurrection.  Besides,  the  notion 
of  two  resurrections  of  the  fitsh,  or  of  body  and  soul,  is  fully 
disproved  by  our  Saviour's  words:  "  The  hour  cometh,  where- 
in all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  they  that  have  done  good  things  shall  come  forth 
unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  but  they  that  have  done  evil,  un- 
to the  resurrection  of  judgment,"  John,  v.  28,  29.  Here  Christ 
expresses  very  clearly  but  one  general  resurrection  of  the 
good  and  the  wicked  together.  Hence  it  is  no  wonder,  that 
the  Millenarian  opinion  fell  early  into  disrepute,  and  has  been 
long  exoloded.  But  as  some  moderns  have  endeavoured  to 
revive  it,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  read  the  following  brief 
account  of  ils  original  rise,  progress,  and  decline,  in  tha 
learned  Dr.  Calmet's  comment  on  this  chapter  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse. 

"  The  S3'stem  of  the  Millenarians  owes  its  origin  to  the 
Jews.  They  expected  to  reign  a  thousand  years  with  the 
Messiah  on  earth,  as  appears  from  the  fourth  book  of  Esdras, 
and  from  the  works  of  some  of  their  most  famous  rabbins,  as 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Maimonides,  and  Manasse-Ben- Israel.  But  he  that  gave  the 
greatest  credit  to  that  opinion,  was  Papias,  a  disciple  of  St. 
John  the  Evangelist,  and  companion  of  St.  Polycarp.  He 
pretended  to  have  received  the  Millenarian  doctrine  from  the 
apostles  and  their  disciples.  Upon  this  assertion  it  was 
adopted  by  St.  IrensBus,  St.  Justin  Martyr,  Tertullian,  Victo- 
rinus,  Lactantius,  and  several  others  ;  while  it  was  on  the 
other  hand  impugned  by  others  from  the  first  ages  of  the 
church.  And  certainly  what  Eusebius  remarks  of  the  cha- 
racter of  Papias,  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  discredit  his  autho- 
rity. He  was  a  man  of  very  moderate  understanding,  who, 
for  want  of  comprehending  what  he  heard  fiom  the  apostles, 
took  literally  what  was  said  in  a  mystical  sense.  St.  Diony- 
sius  of  Alexandria  in  the  third  century  expressly  refuted  one 
Nepos,  Avho  had  composed  a  book  in  defence  of  the  Millena- 
rian opinion.  And  Caius,  a  priest  of  the  church  of  Rome  in 
the  second  century,  calls  it  a  fable  invented  by  Cerinthus. 
Origen  also  rejects  it  in  several  places  of  his  works. — In  fine, 
we  may  conclude  w^ith  a  very  able  man,  M.  du  Pin,  Dissert. 
suT  les  Millenaires,  who  has  fully  discussed  the  question,  that 
the  Millenarian  sentiment  is  contrary  to  the  gospel,  to  the  doc- 
trine of  St.  Paul,  and  is  not  at  all  found  in  the  Apocalypse." 

To  conclude  this  part  of  our  present  history ;  the  reader 
may  remark,  that  the  events,  which  took  their  rise  in  the  first 
age  of  the  Church,  have  been  here  carried  on  in  a  continued 
series,  because  connected,  far  beyond  the  period  of  that  age, 
which  terminates  about  the  year  320.  And  in  general  it 
must  be  observed,  that  the  transactions  relating  to  the  Church 
are  not  confined  within  the  compass  of  the  age  which  gives 
them  birth,  and  which  they  serve  to  characterize,  but  continue 
and  extend  into  the  subsequent  ages. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   HISTORY  OF  THE  SECOND  AGE   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH. THE   OPENING   OF  THE   SECOND   SEAL. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  3.  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second 
seal,  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "  the  second  living  creature, 
saying :  Come  and  see. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  73 

V.  4  "  And  there  went  out  another  horse,  that  was  red : 
and  to  him  that  sat  thereon  it  was  given  that  he  should  take 
peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another, 
and  a  great  sword  was  given  to  him." 

Here  is  announced  the  heresy  of  Arianism,  the  rise  of 
which  opened  the  second  age  of  the  Church,  about  the  year 
320. 

He  who  sits  on  the  horse  is  the  Heresiarch,  Arius  ;  and  his 
horse  is  red,  or  according  to  the  Greek  expression,  of  a  fiery 
colour,  agreeing  with  the  character  of  heresy,  which  always 
kindles  a  flame  of  discord  and  violence.  To  him,  the  rider, 
it  was  given  that  he  should  take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that 
they  should  kill  one  another.  Constantjne  the  Great  had  pro- 
cured peace  to  the  Church  in  313,  by  suppressing  the  Eoman 
idolatrous  power,  as  we  have  before  seen  ;  but  this  peace  is 
soon  banished  by  intestine  broils,  occasioned  by  Arius 
broaching,  in  319,  a  new  doctrine,  which  impiously  denied 
the  divinity  of  Christ  our  Redeemer.  This  blasphemous 
doctrine,  in  progress  of  time,  raised  such  a  flame  of  conten- 
tion among  the  Christians,  that  there  ensued  commotions,  tu- 
mults, violences,  and  bloodshed.  A  great  sword  was  given 
him,  to  Arius  and  the  Arians,  who  were  supported  by  the 
great  powers  of  the  earth,  as  by  several  Roman  emperors, 
and  by  several  kings  of  the  Goths,  the  Vandals,  &:c.  who 
employed  the  sword  in  defence  of  the  Arian  doctrine,  and 
cruelly  persecuted  the  Catholic  Christians. I'his  expli- 
cation will  be  elucidated  presently  by  an  historical  account  of 
that  heresy. 

The  whole  drift  of  the  Arian  doctrine  being  to  impugn  the 
divine  nature  of  Christ :  m  opposition  to  it  was  ascribed  to 
the  Lamb  the  a'u'i'ibute  of  divinity,  or  riches,  according  to  the 
Greek  text,  Apoc.  v.  12.  see  p.  29;  that  is,  the  riches  of  the 
Godhead,  which  he  shares  equally  with  the  Father  ;  for  in 
him  "  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  corporally," 
Coloss.  ii.  9;  and  Christ  speaking  to  the  Father,  says;  "all 
my  things  are  thine;  and  thine  are  mine."  John  xvii.  10. 

Let  it  be  remarked  that,  at  the  opening  of  the  second  seal, 
the  second  living  cieature,  which,  as  we  have  before  shown, 
represents  the  prophet  Jeremias,  says  to  St.  John,  "come,  and 
see."  This  invitation  comes  with  propriety  from  that  prophet, 
who  being  a  priest,  here  shows  to  St.  John  the  apostacy  of 
Arius,  a  priest  of  the  Christian  Church.  Besides,  Jeremias 
was  sent  by  Almighty  God  against  the  false  prophets,  who 
deluded  the  Jews  by  their  pernicious  counsssls  and  deceitful 
7 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

promises  ;  see  Jer.  c.  23.    In  a  similar  manner  he  here  points 
out  Arius,  a  false  teacher  in  the  Christian  Church. 

The  Sounding  of  the  Second  Trumpet. 

Apoc.  Chap.  viii.  8.  "  And  the  second  angel  sounded  the 
trumpet,  and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain,  burning  with  fire, 
was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became 
Wood. 

V.  9.  "  And  the  third  part  of  those  creatures  died  which 
had  life  in  the  sea,  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  de- 
stroyed." 

In  the  seal  w^e  saw  the  intestine  convulsions  and  violences  oc- 
casioned bythe  Arian  disputes;  here  we  find  described  by  an  ex- 
pressive allegory,  the  spiritual  mischief  done  by  that  same  he- 
resy. And  thus  the  second  seal  and  second  trumpet  announce  to 
us  distinctly  and  separately  the  two  dismal  effects,  temporal  and 
spiritual,  of  Arianism.  A  great  mountain  burning  with  fire, 
or  a  great  heresy,  tending  to  kindle  among  Christians  the  fire 
of  discord  in  their  principles  of  faith,  and  the  flame  .of  mu- 
tual animosity,  is  cast  into  the  sea  ;  that  is,  published  in  the 
Church,  which  it  embroils,  and  which  therefore  is  now  re- 
presented as  a  troubled  sea.  And  the  third  part  of  the  sea 
becomes  blood,  by  which  change  its  w^aters  become  poisonous 
to  the  fish  that  live  in  them  :  and  in  like  manner  the  Catholic 
doctrine,  on  which  the  faithful  live,  is  corrupted  by  Arianism 
through  a  third  part  of  the  Church,  and  becomes  poisonous 
and  destructive.  The  consequence  of  which  is,  the  third 
part  of  those  creatures  die,  which  have  life  in  the  sea,  or  the 
third  part  nearly  of  the  Christians  drink  the  heretical  poison, 
and  die  a  spiritual  death.  And  even  the  third  part  of  the 
ships  were  destroyed,  that  is,  a  third  part  of  the  particular 
churches  entire  with  their  pastors,  meant  here  by  the  ships, 
imbibe  the  same  poison  and  perish. 

The  natural  consequences  of  heresy  are,  disputes  and  con- 
tentions in  the  Church  ;  and  therefore  we  find  ascribed  to  it 
voices  or  noises.     Apoc.  viii.  5.  seep.  19. 

The  pouring  out  of  the  second  Vial  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

Apoc.  chap.  xvi.  3.  "  And  the  second  angel,"  says  St. 
John,  "  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea,  and  there  came 
blood  as  it  were  of  a  dead  m-in :  and  every  living  soul  died 
in  the  sea  " 

As  at  the  sounding  of  the  second  trumpet,  a  fiery  moimtain 
was  thrown  into  the  sea,  or  among  the  Christians ;  so  here 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  75 

the  second  vial  of  God's  wrath  is  also  poured  out  upon  the 
sea,  or  on  the  corrupted  and  guilty  part  of  the  Christians, 
namely,  the  Arian  heretics.  And  there  came  blood  as  it 
were  of  a  dead  man :  on  pouring  out  the  vial  follows  the  di- 
vine judgment.  There  appears  blood  like  that  of  a  dead  man, 
or  blood,  which  after  having  flowed  with  a  free  and  vigorous 
circulation  during  the  time  of  health,  gradually  retards  its 
motion  in  a  dying  man,  is  totally  lost  and  stopped  when  the 
man  is  dead.  Thus  the  Arians,  after  having  subsisted  for  a 
while  in  a  vigorous  condition  and  powerful  state,  are  con- 
demned by  a  just  judgment,  to  decline,  dwindle,  and  die  away. 
Hence,  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea;  the  Arians  were,  in 
course  of  time,  either  destroyed  or  converted  to  the  Catholic 
faith,  and  the  heresy  extinguished.     SucK  was  their  case. 

The  preceding  Explication  illustrated  hy  a  short  account  of 
the  Rise,  Progress,  and  Decline  of  Arianism. 

By  the  accession  of  Constantino  to  the  imperial  throne  ido- 
latry received  a  deadly  blow,  and  the  Christian  religion  was 
established  and  peaceably  practised  throughout  the  whole 
Roman  empire  from  the  year  313.  The  blessing  of  so  happy 
a  condition  was  more  than  could  be  expected  by  the  Christians 
to  last  long,  since  Christ  had  fixed  that  his  disciples  should 
follow  him,  not  by  a  life  of  ease  and  prosperity,  but  through 
the  thorny  road  of  tribulation.  Their  present  situation  was 
too  flattering,  not  to  raise  the  envy  of  their  ever  watchful  and 
implacable  enemy  the  devil,  "He,"  to  use  the  words  of  St. 
Cyprian,  "  seeing  his  idols  fallen  into  disrepute,  and  his  tem- 
ples deserted,  on  account  of  ihe  number  of  converts  to  Chris- 
tianity, invented  a  new  artifice,  to  deceive  the  unwary  under 
the  disguise  of  the  Christian  name  itself :  this  was  heresy  and 
schism,  which  he  employed  as  his  instruments  to  subvert 
faith,  corrupt  truth,  and  dissolve  unity.  Those  that  he  could 
not  keep  in  the  old  dark  road  of  idolatry,  he  deceived  by  lead- 
ing them  into  the  by-path  of  error."  Lib.  de  Unit.  EccL 
Arius,  a  turbulent  ambitious  priest  of  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  as- 
pired to  that  see ;  but  finding  himself  disappointed  by  the  elec- 
tion of  St.  Alexander,  his  jealousy  and  resentment  stimulated 
him  to  decry  the  doctrine  of  this  holy  prelate,  which  was  true 
and  orthodox,  and  to  oppose  to  it  a  new  system  of  doctrine  of 
bis  own  invention.  He  began  to  teach  that  Christ  was  not 
God,  but  a  created  being,  formed  indeed  before  all  otlier  crea- 
tures, but  not  from  eternity.  Arius  had  a  graceful  mien,  and 
a  modest  deportment :  He  was  old,  and  had  a  mortified  coun- 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

tenance :  these  qualities  gave  him  credit,  and  contributed  to 
gain  him  proselytes. 

The  holy  bishop,  Alexander,  at  first  endeavoured  to  reclaim 
him  by  mild  remonstrances  and  entreaties  :  but  these  not 
availing-,  and  his  pernicious  doctrine  gaining  ground,  Alex- 
ander assembled  a  synod  of  the  bishops  of  Egypt  and  Lybia, 
in  which  Arius  and  his  abettors  were  condemned  and  cut  off 
from  the  communion  of  the  faithful,  in  the  j^ear  320.  Of 
this  proceeding  St.  Alexander  gave  account  by  a  circular  let- 
ter to  all  the  bishops  of  the  Church.  Arius  fled  from  Alex- 
andria into  Palestine;  there  he  procured  protection  from  some 
bishops :  from  thence  he  proceeded  to  Nicomedia,  where  he 
met  with  a  favourable  reception  from  its  bishop,  Eusebius, 
who  became  a  warm  friend  to  him,  and  his  principal  patron. 
But  the  heresia'-ch  was  not  content  with  having  grained  over 
to  his  party  some  of  the  bishops  ;  he  invented  a  scheme  to 
propagate  his  tenets  among  the  vulgar  class  of  people.  He 
composed  songs,  which  he  taught  them  to  sing,  and  in  them 
he  mixed  the  poison  of  his  doctrine,  which  by  that  easy 
means  they  unwarily  sucked  in. 

Constantine  the  emperor,  in  order  to  put  a  stop  to  the  un- 
happy disputes  that  divided  the  Church,  wrote  letters  to 
Alexander,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  to  Arius,  exhorting 
them  to  be  reconciled.  But  this  expedient  proving  inef- 
fectual, and  the  divisions  increasing,  at  the  solicitation  of 
the  bishops,  he  willingly  concurred  in  procuring  a  general 
council  of  the  Church  to  be  held.  The  place  pitched  upon 
for  it  was  Nice  in  Bithynia,  and  the  emperor  generously 
defrayed  the  whole  charges  of  the  Clergy,  who  resorted 
thither  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  to  the  number  of  318, 
in  the  year  325.  St.  Sylvester,  pope,  not  being  able  to  go 
himself  to  tlie  council,  commissioned  Osius,  bishop  of  Cor- 
duba  in  Spain,  to  preside  there  in  his  name,  and  sent  him 
two  priests,  Vitus  and  Vicentius,  for  assistants.  Arius  was 
there  present,  and  had  two  and  twenty  bishops  of  his  party. 
Constantine  made  a  short  speech  to  the  fathers,  in  which, 
among  other  things,  he  said :  "  Let  us  take  care,  that  after 
having  crushed,  by  the  help  of  God,  our  Saviour,  the  ty- 
ranny of  those  who  waged  war  against  him,  the  devil  by 
his  jealousy  does  not  expose  the  gospel  to  the  slander  and 
malevolence  of  the  wicked,  by  this  intestine  war  which  I 
see  rise  up  in  the  Church."  The  fathers  then  called  upon 
Arias,  to  explain  his  doctrine,  which  shocked  them  very 
much.      He  and    his  partisans  were  soon  confounded,  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  77 

in  the  debate  St.  Athanasius  distinguished  himself  by  force 
of  argument  in  defence  of  the  Catholic  faith.  In  fine,  the 
Arian  doctrine  was  proscribed,  and  Jesus  Christ  declared 
to  be  truly  God,  consubstantial,  or  having  the  same  eternal 
substance  with  the  Father,  and  that  the  Father  is  in  him, 
and  he  in  the  Father.  In  consequence  of  this  determina- 
tion they  drew  up  a  profession  of  the  Catholic  faith,  which  is 
called  the  Nicene  Creed,  to  w^hich  all  subscribed,  except  a 
few  Arian  bishops.  These,  with  Arius  and  his  other  ad- 
herents, were  anathematized  by  the  council,  and  banished 
by  Constantino. 

In  this  manner  the  Catholic  faith  was  ascertained,  and 
triumphed  over  its  enemies :  but  the  spirit  of  heresy,  which  is 
always  restless,  could  not  be  quelled.  The  Arians,  though 
ev-ery  way  confounded,  instead  of  yielding,  employed  them- 
selves in  raising  fresh  troubles.  They  wrote  to  the  emperor, 
and  by  pretending  to  admit  the  Nicene  faith,  they  got  them- 
selves recalled  from  banishment;  they  then  set  themselves  to 
poison  the  emperor's  mind  by  difTerent  arts,  by  slanders  and 
calumnies  against  the  Catholic  bishops,  and  prevailed  upon 
him  to  banish  some  of  them,  among  whom  was  St.  Athana- 
sius, bishop  of  Alexandria.  But  not  stopping  there,  they 
concerted  a  scheme  to  get  Arius  received  into  the  Church, 
even  in  the  imperial  city  of  Constantinople,  and  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  emperor  who  then  resided  there,  in  336.  For 
that  purpose  they  insinuated  to  Constantino,  that  Arius  was 
become  orthodox  in  his  doctrine,  and  they  requested  he  might 
be  called  to  Constantinople.  This  being  granted,  and  Arius 
arrived  in  the  city,  the  emperor  sent  for  him,  and  asked  him 
if  he  received  the  Nicene  faith?  the  heresiarch  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  and  presented  to  the  emperor  a  written  profession 
of  faith,  in  appearance  not  different  from  that  of  Nice,  but 
conceived  in  artful  and  ambiguous  terms.  The  emperor, 
supposing  him  sincere,  desired  Alexander,  bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople, to  receive  him  into  the  Catholic  Communion. 
The  holy  prelate  remonstrated  pathetically  against  such  a 
dangerous  and  uncanonical.  step,  but  Arius's  friends  were 
clamorous,  and  insisted  on  the  emperor's  desire  being  com- 
plied with.  The  bishop  retired  immediately  into  the  church, 
prostrated  himself  before  the  altar,  and  in  his  fervent  prayer 
thus  addressed  Almighty  God :  "  Lord,  if  Arius  must  be  re- 
ceived into  the  church,  be  pleased  to  take  me  out  of  the  world; 
but  if  you  have  compassion  on  your  church,  as  I  know  you 
have,  permit  not  your  inheritance  to  become  an  object  of 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

contempt."  Next  morning  Arius's  friends  assembled,  and 
resolved  to  conduct  him  to  church  in  spite  of  the  bishop. 
They  were  leading  him,  as  in  triumph,  through  the  streets, 
when  on  a  sudden  finding  himself  pressed  by  a  necessity  of 
nature,  he  retired  into  a  back  place  to  ease  himself;  but  there 
with  his  excrements  he  voided  his  bowels,  and  was  found 
dead.     Thus  was  the  hand  of  God  visible  upon  Arius. 

This  ambitious  apostate  and  proud  heresiarch  had  taken 
peace  from  the  earth,  had  disturbed  the  Church  of  Christ,  and 
created  a  fatal  division  among  the  Christians.  "  The  church 
was  in  a  flourishing  condition,"  says  the  historian,  Eusebius, 
speaking  of  the  rise  of  Arianism,  "  and  the  faithful  employed 
themselves  in  all  kinds  of  holy  exercises  with  comfort  and 
joy ;  nor  was  there  the  least  danger  to  be  feared  from  any 
foreign  enemy.  But  a  secret  jealousy  unhappily  crept  in. 
It  first  insinuated  itself  into  the  minds  of  the  people,  then 
found  its  way  into  the  assemblies  of  the  bishops,  whom  it 
animated  against  another,  one  by  raising  disputes  and  alter- 
cations among  them  concerning  the  Christian  doctrine.  This 
small  beginning  gave  rise  to  a  great  flame,  which  first  broke 
out  at  Alexandria,"  having  been  there  kindled  by  Arius.  De 
Vita  Const,  lib.  2.  c.  61. 

Constantine  the  Great,  dying  in  837,  left  three  sons,  who 
divided  the  empire  according  to  their  father's  directions. 
Constantine,  the  eldest,  had  Spain,  GauI,  and  all  the  provinces 
on  this  side  of  the  Alps,  Constantius,  the  second  son,  had 
Thrace,  Asia,  Egypt,  and  the  eastern  countries  :  and  Con- 
stans,  the  youngest,  had  Italy,  Sicily,  Africa,  except  Egypt, 
Greece,  and  Iliyricum.  Constantius  was  soon  gained  over 
by  the  Arians,  and  his  family  was  chiefly  composed  of  them. 
From  his  palace  the  infection  diffused  itself,  first  into  private 
families,  and  by  degrees  was  propagated  into  the  towns  and 
even  distant  provinces  under  his  dominion.  Many  bishops 
imbibed  the  contagion,  and  communicated  it  to  their  flocks. 
This  oreat  accession  of  number  increased  the  Arian  power, 
which  they  did  not  fail  to  exert  in  persecuting  the  orthodox 
Christians.  They  gave  great  trouble  to  St  Athanasius  by 
the  calumnies  they  invented  against  him,  and  they  intruded 
into  his  see  of  Alexandria,  by  force  of  arms,  a  bishop  of  their 
own  party  in  his  place.  When  St.  Alexander,  bishop  of 
Constantinople,  died  in  340,  Paul,  a  true  Catholic,  was  chosen 
his  successor,  but  the  Arian  faction  deposed  him  with  the 
agreement  of  the  Emperor  Constantius,  and  substituted  in  his 
room  the  arch-Arian,  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia.     From  that 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  79 

date  the  Arians  were  masters  in  Constantinople,  for  forty 
years.  They  carried  on  every  thing-  by  violence  in  the  east : 
relying  on  the  protection  of  the  Emperor  Constantius,  they 
arrogated  the  power  of  deposing  at  their  pleasure  the  orthodox 
prelates,  and  filling  their  places  with  Arians. 

By  all  these  different  means,  Arianism  had  very  much  dif- 
fused itself  through  the  east,  while  the  west  was  but  little 
tainted  with  it.  This  produced  great  disunion  in  the  church ; 
which  occasioned  a  council  to  be  held  at  Sardica,  in  Illyri- 
cum,  in  347.  It  was  composed  of  about  250  bishops  con- 
vened from  both  the  eastern  and  western  provinces,  of  whom 
1 70  were  orthodox,  and  fourscore  of  the  Arian  party.  Several 
of  the  bishops  and  others  there  showed  the  wounds  they  had 
received  from  the  swords  of  the  Arians ;  they  complained  of 
the  cruel  hardship  they  had  been  made  to  suffer,  under  which 
some  had  even  perished  ;  they  gave  account  of  the  violences 
committed  by  the  soldiers  and  people,  and  of  the  threats  of  the 
judges :  they  represented  that  the  virgins  were  stripped  of 
their  substance,  the  holy  ministers  imprisoned,  and  the 
churches  burned.  These  and  other  persecutions,  that  had 
been  carried  on  by  the  Arians,  they  recapitulated  before  the 
council.  The  Arian  party  expected  to  domineer  in  the  coun- 
cil by  means  of  the  secular  power,  but  they  found  they  were 
disappointed.  They  saw  that  the  fathers  would  have  full 
liberty  allowed  them  to  judge,  and  that  themselves  would  be 
condemned.  They  therefore  retired  abruptly,  and  went  to 
Philippopolis  in  Thrace.  The  council  nevertheless  pro- 
ceeded to  business,  and  declared  their  firm  adherence  to  the 
Nicene  faith.  They  restored  St.  Athanasius  and  two  other 
bishops  to  their  sees,  from  whence  they  had  been  expelled, 
and  they  pronounced  sentence  of  deposition  and  excommuni- 
cation against  eleven  bishops,  who  were  the  chiefs  of  the 
Arian  fection.  Then  the  fathers  despatched  deputies  to  the 
emperors  to  press  the  execution  of  these  decrees,  and  to  en- 
treat them  to  put  a  stop  to  Arian  persecutions.  The  Oriental 
heretic  bishops,  who  had  retired  to  Philippopolis,  held  there 
a  meeting,  which  they  were  bold  enough  to  call  the  council  of 
Sardica,  and  had  the  presumption  to  excommunicate  Pope 
Julius,  Osius  of  Corduba,  and  several  other  Catholic  bishops. 
Moreover,  when  the  Arians  heard  they  had  been  condemned 
at  the  true  council  of  Sardica,  they  redoubled  their  A^olences 
against  the  orthodox.  They  caused  several  to  be  put  to  death  j 
some  VN^ere  exiled,  others  scourged,  and  others  imprisoned. 

Constantius,  after  the  death  of  his  brothers,  Constantino 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

and  Constans,  having  suppressed  the  usurpers  Vertrannio 
and  Magnentius,  became  master  of  the  whole  empire  in  353. 
Two  years  after  he  commenced  a  general  persecution  against 
the  Catholics.  He  sent  judges  through  the  different  pro- 
vinces to  compel  the  bishops  to  communicate  with  the  Arians, 
and  to  subscribe  to  the  sentence  against  St.  Athanasius,  whom 
he  had  procured  to  be  condemned  in  a  meeting  of  some  Arian 
bishops  at  Milan.  The  prelates,  who  refused  to  comply, 
w-ere  banished,  and  others  of  the  Arian  faction  intruded  by 
force  of  arms.  It  was  upon  this  occasion  that  Pope  Liberius 
was  exiled  to  Bersea  in  Thrace.  The  judges  were  also  directed 
to  imprison,  punish,  and  confiscate  the  goods  of  the  people 
who  should  take  part  with  the  exiled  bishops.  Macedonius, 
the  Arian  bishop  and  usurper  of  the  see  of  Constantinople, 
made  himself  conspicuous  in  this  scene  of  persecution.  He 
obtained  an  edict  from  the  emperor,  which  he  published  in 
Constantinople,  and  in  all.  the  neighbouring  towns,  and  had  it 
executed  by  force  of  arms,  which  ordered  that  all  the  Catholics 
should  be  banished,  and  their  churches  pulled  down.  But 
not  content  with  these  violences,  he  procured  several  persons 
to  be  burned  in  the  forehead,  others  to  be  exposed  to  different 
torments,  of  which  some  died. 

In  359  was  held  a  council  at  Arminium  in  Italy,  consisting 
of  above  four  hundred  bishops,  of  whom  about  fourscore  were 
Arians.  They  received  orders  from  the  Emperor  Constantius, 
to  attempt  nothing  against  the  Orientals.  The  council  never- 
theless confirmed  the  Nicene  faith,  and  deposed  the  heterodox 
bishops  that  were  present.  The  Arians  here  dressed  up 
a  fraudulent  profession  of  faith,  in  appearance  Catholic,  but 
containing  the^rian  poison  under  artful  ambiguous  expres- 
sions. The  Catholics,  not  aware  of  the  fraud,  and  supposing 
the  profession  to  be  orthodox,  subscribed  it.  It  was  in  conse- 
quence of  this  subscription  that  St.  Jerome  made  the  following 
remark  :  "  The  world,"  said  he,  "  was  struck  with  grief,  and 
wondered  to  find  itself  become  Arian."*  But  the  fathers  no 
sooner  perceived  the  imposition  that  had  been  put  upon  them, 
than  they  expressed  their  detestation  of  it,  retracted  their  sub- 
scription, and  professed  their  adherence  to  the  true  faith. 
The  formula  subscribed  at  Arminium  was  sent  to  all  the  pro- 
vinces of  the  empire,  with  an  order  from  Constantius  to  all 
the  bishops  to  sign  it,  under  pain  of  banishment.  This  caused 
great  trouble  in  the  Church,  and  a  kind  of  persecution,  and 
many  bishops  in  the  east  signed  the  formula. 

*  legemuit  totus  orbis,  et  Arianum  se  esse  miratus  est. 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  81 

About  this  time  great  violences  were  committed  at  Alexan- 
dria by  the  Arians.  .  Numbers  of  people  were  trampled  to 
death  in  the  streets  by  the  soldiers,  and  others  slain  by  their 
darts.  St.  Athanasius  was  forced  to  leave  the  place,  and  one 
George,  an  Arian,  a  brutish  and  cruel  man,  was  placed  in  the 
patriarchal  chair.  He  renewed  the  scenes  of  bloodshed  and 
violence  ;  but  two  years  after,  by  a  just  judgment,  was  massa- 
cred by  the  pagans  for  this  cruelty. 

Constantius  the  emperor  died  in  361,  and  with  his  death 
ceased  for  a  while  the  Arian  persecution.  What  has  been 
said  of  this  prince  sufficiently  shows  that  he  was  "  a  great 
sword,"  according  to  the  expression  of  the  Apocalypse,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Arians.  In  364,  Valens  was  invested  with  the 
empire  of  the  east  by  his  brother  Valentinian,  who  kept  to 
himself  the  west.  This  last  prince  was  a  true  Catholic  ;  but 
Valens  was  inclined  to  Arianism,  and  openly  declared  in  fa- 
vour of  it  in  367,  when  he  was  baptized  by  Eudoxus,  the 
Arian  bishop  of  Constantinople,  who  made  him  then  swear, 
that  he  would  always  persist  in  his  belief,  and  persecute  those 
of  a  contrary  persuasion.  In  conformity  to  his  oath,  this 
emperor  became  another  great  sword  in  defence  of  the  Arians. 
The  devil  not  being  able,  as  Paulus  Orosius  observes,  lib. 
vii.  c.  29,  to  persecute  the  Church  any  longer  by  pagan  em- 
perors who  no  longer  existed,  found  means  to  do  it  by  the 
hands  of  Christian  emperors.  Valens  began  his  persecution 
against  the  orthodox,  by  ordering  the  governors  of  the  pro- 
vinces to  banish  those  bishops,  who  had  been  deposed  by 
Constantius,  and  had  recov^ered  their  sees  under  Julian.  St. 
Athanasius  among  the  rest  underwent  the  penalty,  and  this 
was  the  fourth  or  fifth  time  he  had  been  driven  from  his 
church.  The  Catholics  at  Constantinople  suffered  greatly  ; 
they  were  insulted,  wounded,  and  imprisoned,  and  some  of 
them  even  put  to  death.  To  get  a  stop  put  to  these  violences, 
they  sent  a  deputation  of  fourscore  ecclesiastics  to  Valens  at 
Nicomedia.  These,  instead  of  obtaining  any  redress  from 
the  inhuman  emperor,  were  ordered  to  be  put  on  board  a 
vessel,  and  the  vessel,  when  out  at  sea,  to  be  set  on  fire.  The 
barbarous  order  was  executed,  and  they  all  perished.  Perse- 
cution was  openly  carried  on  in  different  parts  of  the  east. 
As  the  monks  in  the  deserts  were  known  to  distinguish  them- 
selves in  supporting  the  true  religion,  Valens  issued  out  an 
order  that  they  should  be  compelled  to  bear  arms,  and  the 
officers  who  Avere  sent  upon  the  commission,  massacred  a 
great  number  of  them. 


82  HISTORV  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

The  Emperor  Valens  perished  miserably  in  378,  and  he 
being  the  last  of  the  Roman  emperors  that  favoured  Arianism, 
it  lost  ground  in  the  eastern  provinces,  which  were  chiefly  in- 
fected. And  before  the  end  of  this  century,  that  is,  before  the 
year  400,  the  Arians  began  to  differ  among  themselves  about 
their  tenets,  and  they  divided  into  different  sects,  and  these 
divisions  contributed  to  weaken  their  strength,  and  were  even 
the  occasion  of  many  of  them  leaving  their  party,  and  em- 
bracing the  Christian  faith. 

On  another  side  however  one  may  take  notice,  that  the 
Empress  Justina,  who  favoured  the  Arians,  gave  some  trouble 
to  the  Catholics  in  the  west,  particularly  to  St.  Ambrose,  at 
Milan  ;  and  she  prevailed  upon  her  young  son  Valentinian  II. 
to  issue  out  an  edict  in  support  of  the  Arians,  but  as  she  died 
soon  after,  it  produced  but  little  effect. 

The  Goths  also,  who  from  idolatry  had  been  converted  to 
Christianity,  were  afterwards  brought  over  to  Arianism, 
about  the  year  376,  by  their  bishop  Ulphilas,  who  suffered 
himself  to  be  perverted  by  Eudoxus,  the  Arian  bishop  ot 
Constantinople.  These  Goths  having  overthrown  the  western 
empire  of  Rome,  divided  themselves  into  two  bodies,  one  of 
which  settled  in  Italy,  and  they  were  called  Ostrogoths  or 
eastern  Goths ;  the  other  proceeded  into  the  southern  parts  of 
France,  and  afterwards  into  Spain,  where  they  fixed,  and  were 
named  Visigoths  or  western  Goths.  The  Ostrogoths  were 
converted  by  degrees  to  the  Catholic  faith,  after  their  domi- 
nion in  Italy  was  extinguished  by  Narses,  the  commander  of 
the  Emperor  Justinian's  troops,  who  defeated  their  army  and 
slew  their  king  Totila  in  552.  The  Visigoths  in  Spain,  under 
their  king  Reccared,  who  had  been  instructed  by  St,  Hermene* 
gild,  were  brought  over  from  Arianism  to  the  orthodox  faith 
about  the  year  587.  The  Suevi,  a  German  people  who  settled 
in  Spain,  had  been  also  converted  a  few  years  before  from  the 
Arian  heresy:  in  fine,  in  this  king's  reign  an  end  was  put  to 
that  heresy  in  Spain,  where  it  had  been  imported  by  the  bar- 
barous nations  that  invaded  that  country. 

The  Lombard's,  originally  a  German  people,  who  conquer- 
ed part  of  Italy,  and  raised  to  thepiselves  a  kingdom  there  in 
572,  were  also  Arians ;  but  Charlemagne  vanquished  them 
in  774,  and  put  an  end  to  their  dominion.  The  remainder  of 
them  were  in  course  of  time  converted. 

The  Vandals  were  not  only  Arians,  but  cruel  persecutors 
of  the  Catholic  church.  In  a  peace  they  made  with  the  Ro- 
man emperor  in  435,  was  ceded  to  them  a  large  tract  of  coun- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  83 

try  in  Africa,  into  which  a  considerable  body  of  them  passed 
from  Spain,  where  they  had  been  settled  before.  Two  years 
after,  Genseric,  their  king,  resolved  to  establish  Arianism  in 
his  new  African  kingdom,  and  with  that  view  began  to  per- 
secute the  Catholic  bishops  and  to  banish  them  from  their  sees, 
He  afterwards  forbid  ordaining  any  Catholic  bishops  in  his 
dominions,  so  that  they  were  reduced  in  thirty  years  time  to 
three.  In  455  the  persecution  was  so  hot,  that  it  crowned 
many  with  martyrdom,  and  their  memorial  is  celebrated  by 
the  church  on  the  5th  of  April.  The  Arians  were  actuated 
v.-jth  such  rage  and  animosity,  that  they  committed  the  most 
outrageous  indignities'  knowing  that  the  Catholics  were  as- 
sembled at  the  holy  communion,  they  broke  in  upon  them, 
threw  down  the  sacred  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ,  and  tramp- 
led it  under  their  feet. 

Huneric,  son  and  successor  to  Genseric  in  477,  was,  like 
his  father,  an  Arian,  but  surpassed  him  in  his  barbarous 
treatment  of  the  orthodox.  He  seemed  to  have  more  the  na- 
ture of  a  Decius  or  a  Dioclesian,  than  of  a  Christian  prince, 
IVe  shall  only  say  in  general,  that  he  shut  up  all  the  Catholic 
churches  in  his  dominons,  he  banished  the  bishops  and  clergy 
to  the  number  of  near  five  thousand,  and  very  numerous  were 
the  victims  sacrificed  to  his  cruelty  in  this  persecution,  some 
of  whom  lost  their  limbs,  others  their  lives,  for  their  adherence 
to  the  true  faith.  But  the  hand  of  God  overtook  him  in  485, 
and  he  died  eaten  up  by  worms.  Two  other  persecutions 
Vv'ere  afterwards  raised  against  the  Catholics  by  Huneric' s  suc- 
cessors, Gondamund  and  Thrasimund.  But  the  Emperor  Jus- 
tinian in  535  sent  his  general  Belisarius  into  Africa,  who 
defeated  the  Vandals,  and  put  an  end  to  their  kingdom  and 
power. 

Let  this  account  suffice  to  show,  with  how  m.uch  propriety 
the  Arian  heresy  is  styled  in  our  text  of  the  Apocalypse,  "  a 
great  mountain,  burning  with  fire,"  flung  into  the  Church.  It 
now  appears  what  a  flame  it  kindled  of  discord,  intestine  con- 
vulsions, and  persecution,  and  that  it  corrupted  the  faith  of  a 
considerable  part,  both  of  its  pastors  and  people.  But  we  must 
at  the  same  time  take  notice,  that,  notwithstanding  all  the  dif- 
ferent artifices  and  violences  employed  by  the  Arians  to  in- 
crease their  party,  and  to  suppress  that  of  the  orthodox,  the 
greatest  portion  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  even  in  the  east,  stood 
firm  in  their  faith,  and  adhered  closely  to  the  determination  of 
the  council  of  Nice.  This  is  attested  by  St.  Athanasius,  who 
lived  in  the  midst  of  the  scene,  and  bore  a  great  share  in  it. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

The  same  is  asserted  by  St.  Basil  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor 
Valens.  Besides,  the  western  Church  was  for  a  considerable 
time  almost  unanimous  in  its  detestation  of  that  blasphemous 
heresy ;  till  it  was  imported  thither  by  foreign  people,  who 
came  and  settled  in  her  countries.  It  is  said  that  the  fiery 
mountain  corrupted  a  part  of  the  waters  of  the  sea ;  in  like 
manner  Arianism  infused  its  infection  into  some  part  of  the 
Church ;  but  as  the  waters  of  the  sea  by  their  natural  convulsive 
motion  cast  forth  the  filth  they  contain  in  their  bosom,  and  purify 
themselves  ;  so  the  pastors  and  community  of  the  faithful,  as 
soon  as  they  perceived  the  lurking  poison  of  Arianism,  be- 
stirred themselves  to  repel  it,  by  assembling  councils,  by 
preaching,  praying,  «&:c.  which  efforts  had  their  full  effect,  and 
defeated  the  enemy.  The  mighty  power  of  emperors  and  kings 
came  in  to  its  assistance,  but  even  that  fell  before  infirm  de- 
fenceless men,  the  faithful  pastors,  who  stood  intrepid  against 
it ;  for  "  the  weak  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen,  that 
he  may  confound  the  strong,"  1  Cor.  1.  27.  How  vain  and 
senseless  the  attempt,  in  any  power  below  heaven,  to  force  the 
Church  to  change  her  belief!  when  He,  who  built  her  up, 
had  pronounced  that  "the  gates  of  hell  should  never  prevail 
against  her,"  Mat.  xvi.  18.  How  is  it  possible  that  the  Church 
should  ever  be  prevailed  upon  to  declare  against  the  divinity 
of  Christ,  which  is  the  very  rock  on  which  she  stands?  The 
rise  of  Arianism  therefore  served  only  as  a  touchstone,  to  dis- 
tinguish the  sound  part  of  Christians  from  the  unsound.  It 
was  a  useful  instrument  to  separate  the  chaff  from  the  corn: 
"  There  must  be  heresies,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  that  they  who  are 
approved  may  be  made  manifest,"  1  Cor.  xi.  19.  This  me- 
thod Christ  made  use  of  to  purge  away  all  dross  from  his 
Church,  and  the  pure  metal  only  remaining,  she  shone  with 
more  brio-htness.  While  on  the  other  hand  Arianism,  not  be- 
ing  able  to  stand  against  such  superior  lustre,  withdrew  by 
degrees,  and  sunk  quite  away. 

Such  is  the  history  of  what  relates  to  the  second  age  of  the 
Church. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  85 


CHAPTER  V. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  THIRD  AGE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 
THE  OPENING   OF  THE  THIRD  SEAL. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  5.  "  And  when  he  (the  Lamb)  had  opened 
the  third  seal,  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "  the  third  living  crea- 
ture, saying :  Come,  and  see.  And  behold  a  black  horse,  and 
he  that  sat  on  him,  had  a  pair  of  scales  in  his  hand. 

V.  6.  "  And  I  heard  as  it  were  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the 
four  living  creatures,  saying ;  Two  pounds  of  wheat  for  a  penny, 
and  thrice  two  pounds  of  barley  for  a  penny,  and  see  thou 
hurt  not  the  wine  and  the  oil." 

Here  is  announced  a  dreadful  famine,  which  is  the  first  step 
taken  by  the  Almighty  for  the  destruction  of  the  empire  of 
pagan  Rome;  and  with  it  commences  the  third  age  of  the 
Church,  about  the  year  406 

The  voice  cries  out :  "  Two  pounds  of  wheat  for  a  penny, 
and  thrice  two  pounds  of  barley  for  a  penny."  The  Roman 
penny  or  denarius  is,  in  our  money,  about  seven  pence  three 
farthings,  (16  cents,)  an  exorbitant  price  in  those  days  for  two 
pounds  of  v/heat  or  six  pounds  of  barley,  and  shows  great 
scarcity.  This  famine  afflicted  the  western  Roman  empire  in 
406  and  the  following  years,  when  Arcadius  reigned  emperor 
in  the  east,  and  Honorius  in  the  west  the  body  of  the  Roman 
empire  having  been  divided  into  two  states :  the  eastern,  the 
capital  of  which  was  Constantinople  ;  and  the  western  having 
Rome  for  its  capital ;  which  last  is  the  subject  of  our  present 
consideration.  The  famine  was  occasioned  by  the  irruption 
of  those  barbarous  nations,  the  Goths,  the  Vandals,  the  Huns, 
the  Alans,  &c.  who  came  in  swarms  from  the  north,  invaded 
the  Roman  provinces,  and  carried  devastation  along  with  them. 
This  is  attested  by  all  the  historians  of  those  times.  These 
people  were  sent  by  Almighty  God  to  execute  his  avenging 
justice  on  idolatrous  Rome  and  its  empire,  to  distress  it  with 
calamities,  to  seize  its  provinces,  to  humble  its  pride,  and  put 
an  end  to  its  power  and  dominion. 

The  black  colour  of  the  horse  is  suitable  to  the  nature  of 
famine,  which  wastes  and  dries  the  body,  and  tinges  the  skin 
with  a  blackish  hue,  agreeably  to  that  of  Jeremias :  "  Our  skin 
8 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


is  burnt  as  an  oven,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  the  famine," 
Lament,  v.  10.  The  black  or  funeral  colour  of  the  horse 
agrees  also  with  the  condition  here  considered  of  the  heathen 
Roman  empire,  which  is  now  going  into  destruction.  And  he 
that  sits  on  the  horse,  is  Alaric,  king  of  the  Goths,  the  prin- 
cipal nation  among  those  that  concurred  in  the  subversion  of 
the  Roman  state :  and  in  Alaric  may  be  comprehended  the 
chiefs  of  the  other  nations.  The  rider  holds  a  pair  of  scales 
in  his  hand  to  weigh  the  grain,  which  indicates  that  the  dearth 
will  be  so  great,  that  all  the  grain  will  be  sold  by  exact  weight 
and  measure.  And  here  we  may  take  notice  of  the  propriety 
of  this  spectacle  being  shown  to  St.  John  by  the  third  living 
creature,  or  the  prophet  Ezechiel,  who  had  announced  to  the 
Jews  the  like  calamity,  with  which  God  intended  to  punish 
them.  Thus  spoke  God  by  that  prophet:  "Behold,  I  will 
break  in  pieces  the  staff  of  bread  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  they  shall 
eat  bread  by  weight,  and  with  care  ;  and  they  shall  drink  wa- 
ter by  measure,  and  in  distress."  Ezech.  iv.  16.  Let  us  also 
observe,  that  the  voice  which  spoke  came  from  the  midst  of 
the  four  living  creatures,  that  is,  it  was  one  voice  composed  of 
the  voices  of  the  four  living  creatures,  or  of  the  four  great  pro- 
phets, Isaias,  Jeremias,  Ezechiel,  and  Daniel.  They  severally 
foretold  the  fall  of  ancient  Babylon,  which  was  a  figure  of  the 
fall  of  pagan  Rome,  this  city  being  styled  Babylon  in  the  Apo- 
calypse. On  account  therefore  of  their  common  prediction, 
their  voices  are  joined  in  one  to  announce  the  approaching  fate 
of  Rome.  But  it  is  added:  Hurt  not  the  wine  and  the  oil. 
This  expression  seems  to  point  at  the  character  of  the  invaders 
of  the  Roman  territory,  who  w'ere  all  northern  people,  and 
consequently  not  being  used  to  Avine  and  oil,  which  are  not 
produced  in  their  countries,  naturally  neglected  them,  while  at 
the  same  time  they  swept  away  all  the  grain.  In  northern 
countries  at  present  both  wine  and  oil  are  imported,  and  com- 
monly used,  but  it  was  not  so  in  those  days,  when  little  or  no 
commerce  or  even  communication  subsisted  between  the  north- 
ern and  southern  nations. 

In  the  subject  of  this  Seal  we  see  shine  forth  that  wisdom, 
the  attribute  of  the  Lamb,  Apoc.  v.  12.  see  p.  29.  according  to 
the  dictates  of  which  he  demolishes  kingdoms  and  raises  up 
others. 

The  Sounding  of  the  third  Trumpet. 

Apoc.  chap.  viii.  10.  "And  the  third  angel,"  says  St.  John, 
"  sounded  the  trumpet,  and  a  great  star  fell  from  heaven  burn- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  87 

ing  as  it  were  a  torch,  aad  it  fell  on  the  third  part  of  the  rivers, 
and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters : 

V.  11.  "And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  wormwood: 
And  the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood :  and 
many  men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter." 

Here  is  an  allegorical  description  of  new  calamities  that 
were  to  be  inflicted  on  heathen  Rome  and  its  provinces.  A 
great  star  falls  from  heaven:  this  great  star  represents  the 
above-named  powerful  nations  of  the  north;  it  falls  from 
heaven ;  they  are  sent  by  Almighty  God  to  destroy  Rome,  as 
formerly  Nabuchodonosor  was  sent  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  and 
Cyrus  to  destroy  Babylon.  This  star  is  said  to  burn  like  a 
torch,  on  account  of  the  desolation  which  these  barbarians 
spread  in  their  progress,  by  laying  waste  the  cities  and  country 
by  fire.  The  star  fell  on  the  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon 
the  fountains  of  waters.  Those  people  spread  themselves 
over  a  third  part  of  the  Roman  provinces,  signified  by  the 
rivers ;  they  invaded  particularly  the  western  parts  ;  then  fell 
upon  Rome  itself,  and  Italy  denoted  by  the  fountains  of  wa- 
ters. That  the  rivers  and  waters  signify  the  provinces  of  the 
Roman  empire,  appears  from  the  explication  given  by  the  angel 
to  St.  John  in  chap.  xvii.  15.  of  the  Apocalypse.  "  The  waters 
which  thou  sawest,  where  the  harlot  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and 
nations,  and  tongues."  Furthermore  the  name  of  the  star  is 
wormwood ;  the  star  may  well  be  called  wormwood  since  it 
caused  such  bitter  distresses,  such  bitter  calamities,  and  in  fine 
ruin  to  the  Roman  people.  The  same  kind  of  expression  for 
calamities,  sent  by  the  hand  of  God,  we  find  in  the  prophet 
Jeremias  :  "  Behold,"  said  the  Lord,  "  I  will  feed  this  people 
(the  Jews)  with  wormwood,  and  I  will  give  them  water  of  gall 
to  drink,"  Jer.  ix.  15.  Lastly:  the  third  part  of  the  waters 
became  wormwood:  and  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  be- 
cause they  were  made  bitter :  a  great  number  of  the  Romans 
perished  by  the  bitter  draught  of  those  calamities. 

The  disasters,  and  devastations  by  fire,  that  afflicted  the 
Roman  dominions  at  this  time,  may  therefore  very  justly  be 
compared  to  the  eft'ects  of  lightning.     Apoc.  viii.  5.  see  p.  35. 

But  here  we  must  observe,  that  this  third  trumpet  sounded 
nc-1  only  war  and  ruin  to  the  pagan  Roman  empire,  but  also 
a  terrible  alarm  to  the  Christians  in  it,  as  they  became  in- 
volved in  those  general  calamities,  and  suffered  extremely. 
Besides,  they  had  lived  for  some  time  with  comfort  under 
Christian  emperors,  and  shared  their  benevolence  and  pro- 
tection :  but  this  blessing  also  was  now  wrested  from  them 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

by  the  northern  invaders,  who  superseded  the  western  Ro- 
man emperors,  and  seizing  their  provinces,  set  up  their  own 
princes,  who  were  either  idolaters  or  Arians.  Nay,  even  his- 
tory informs  us,  that  about  the  year  480  there  was  not  one 
Catholic  king  in  the  world.  Odoacer,  who  reigned  over 
Italy,  was  an  Arian ;  the  same  were  the  kings  in  Spain, 
and  Genseric  in  Africa.  The  differr.nt  princes  in  Gaul  or 
France  were  also  either  Heathens  or  Arians.  In  the  East 
reigned  the  Emperor  Zeno,  an  abettor  of  the  Eutychian  he- 
resy ;  and  the  kings  of  Persia  were  pagans. 

The  pouring  out  of  the  third  Vial  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

Apoc.  chap.  xvi.  4.  "  And  the  third  angel,"  says  St. 
John,  "  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and  the  fountains 
of  waters  :  and  there  was  made  blood. 

V.  5.  "And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters,  saying: 
Thou  art  just,  O  Lord,  who  art,  and  who  wast,  the  holy  one, 
because  thou  hast  judged  these  things  : 

V.  6.  "  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  pro- 
phets, and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink ;  for  they  are 
worthy. 

V.  7.  "  And  I  heard  another  from  the  altar,  saying:  Yea, 
O  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  just  are  thy  judgments." 

At  the  sounding  of  the  third  trumpet  the  great  star  fell 
upon  the  rivers  and  the  fountains  of  waters  :  so  likewise  the 
third  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God  is  here  poured  out  on  the  ri- 
vers and  the  fountains  of  waters,  this  is,  on  the  pagans  of  the 
western  Roman  provinces,  and  on  those  of  Italy  and  Rome 
itself  And  there  was  made  blood  :  this  is  the  last  stroke, 
that  of  the  sword  employed  by  the  Almighty  to  complete  the 
overthrow  of  the  Roman  empire;  and  effectually  dreadful 
was  the  slaughter  the  barbarians  made  of  tlie  pagan  Roman 
people.  The  divine  judgment  being  executed,  the  justice  of  it 
is  immediately  proclaimed  by  the  angel  of  the  waters,  that  is, 
by  the  angel  that  presided  over  the  Roman  state.  He  cries  out : 
"  Thou  art  just,  O  Lord,  who  art,  and  who  wast,  the  holy 
one,  becau-se  thou  hast  judged  these  things  ;"  and  the  reason 
is  added  :  "  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  pro- 
phets, and  therefore  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink :  for 
they  are  worthy,"  or  deserve  it:  they,  the  Romans,  have  ex- 
ercised the  most  cruel  persjcutions  against  thy  people,  the 
Christians,  they  have  spilt  their  blood,  and  that  of  thy  apos- 
tles and  ministers  of  thy  gospel,  and  now  by  a  just  retaliation 
thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink,  and  by  bringing  upon 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  89 

them  other  people,  as  cruel  as  themselves,  to  pour  out  their 
blood.  Then  the  angel,  who  presides  over  the  altar  of  holo- 
causts, at  the  foot  of  which,  according  to  the  Jewish  rites,  was 
poured  out  the  blood  of  the  victims,  joins  agreeably  to  his 
function  in  acknowledging  the  divine  justice  in  the  effusion 
of  the  Roman  blood.  He  addresses  the  Almighty,  saying : 
"  Yea,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  just  are  thy  judg- 
ments." We  may  here  take  notice  that  the  above-mentioned 
calamities  are  very  plainly  intimated  in  few  terms  by  our  pro- 
phet in  chap,  xviii.  8.  of  the  Apocalypse,  where,  speaking 
of  the  punishment  of  heathen  Rome,  he  says  :  "  Her  plagues 
shall  come  in  one  day,  death,  and  mourning,  and  famine ;" 
famine  being  the  subject  of  the  present  seal,  mourning  that 
of  the  trumpet,  and  death  that  of  the  vial. 

Such  are  the  events,  which  characterize  the  third  age  of 
the  Church,  and  make  up  its  history. 

The  preceding  Explication  illustrated  by  a  brief  Historical 
account  of  the  fall  of  ancient  Rome  with  its  Empire. 

The  Roman  empire,  like  all  other  human  structures,  was 
built  upon  a  perishable  foundation.  It  had  its  rise  and  its  de- 
cline. In  its  first  ages  it  supported  itself  by  wisdom  and  mo- 
deration, and  owed  its  amazing  growth  to  its  prowess,  forti- 
tude and  perseverance :  but  in  the  latter  part  of  its  period, 
which  we  here  consider,  these  qualities  were  no  more  found 
in  it.  Its  progress  was  like  that  of  an  elegant  human  shape, 
which  had  reached  maturity  of  perfection,  but  whose  beauty 
was  now  in  the  wane.  The  prophet  Daniel  had,  long  before 
its  existence,  described  its  nature.  He  compares  it  first  to 
iron,  Dan.  ii.  20,  &c.  As  iron  is  the  strongest  of  metals,  so 
the  Roman  state  was  to  perform  greater  achievments  than  any 
of  the  preceding  empires,  and  was  to  subdue  them  all.  Then 
he  compares  it  to  iron  mixed  with  clay.  The  mixture  of  iron 
and  clay  exhibits  the  subsequent  decline  of  that  state,  clay 
being  put  for  a  sign  of  its  weakness,  and  want  of  solidity. 
Such  then  was  the  nature  of  the  Roman  state.  We  see  it 
therefore  extending  its  dominion,  and  gaining  universal 
empire  during  the  time  of  its  consuls  and  first  emperors : 
but  after  that  period,  we  see  it  distracted  with  interior  convul- 
sions and  civil  wars.  The  military  grew  licentious,  the  pa- 
tricians luxurious  and  effeminate,  the  plebeians  mutinous,  and 
the  emperors  cruel  and  debauched.  Hence  it  is  plain,  its 
constitution  was  growing  old,  and  was  tending  to  a  decay, 
from  its  own  infirmities  and  disorders.     But  though  its  case 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

seemed  almost  desperate,  a  tolerable  recovery  might  have 
been  hoped  for  from  active  and  valiant  governors,  who  might 
have  reformed  its  defects,  and  revived  in  the  people  a  share 
of  the  spirit  of  their  ancestors.  But  this  was  not  to  be. 
Rome  had  provoked  the  indignation  of  the  supreme  Ruler  of 
empires.  It  had  bent  its  whole  power  to  the  supporting  of 
idolatry,  and  to  the  suppressing  of  the  establishment  of  the 
Christian  religion.  An  invisible  hand  was  therefore  depress- 
ing it,  and  it  was  doomed  to  drink  the  full  cup  of  the  wrath  of 
the  Almighty,  and  even  in  the  most  conspicuous  manner. 

Many  were  the  instruments  employed  by  the  hand  of  God 
for  this  purpose.  He  brought  down  upon  the  empire  a  mul- 
titude of  barbarous  nations,  whi^h  being  almost  destitute  of 
humanity,  tore  out  its  bowels  without  mercy.  Among  these 
the  Goths  bore  a  principal  share.  They  were  originally  a 
people  of  Gothland,  in  Sweden,  where  finding  themselves  too 
closely  confined  for  their  number,  a  large  body  of  them 
passed  into  Pomerania,  where  Tacitus  places  them :  thence 
they  advanced  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Palus  Mseotis :  and 
afterwards  bent  their  route  westerly,  and  extended  themselves 
along  the  north  side  of  the  Danube.  From  thence  they  made 
incursions  into  the  Roman  empire,  carrying  famine  and  deso- 
lation along  with  them.  The  emperors,  harassed  with  wars 
on  every  side,  were  compelled  to  come  into  terms  with  them, 
and  allowed  to  part  of  them  a  settlement  in  Thrace.  In  con- 
sideration of  this  indulgence,  they  remained  quiet  for  a  while, 
and  even  assisted  the  Romans  against  their  other  enemies. 
But  new  pretences  of  complaint  soon  rising,  they  made  new 
incursions,  and  w^ere  of  all  the  northern  nations  the  most 
troublesome  to  the  Romans. 

Alaric,  whom  they  chose  for  their  king,  an  enterprising 
ambitious  adventurer,  animated  with  the  success  of  former 
invasions,  conceived  a  design,  in  the  year  402,  of  seizing  on 
the  beautiful  fertile  country  of  Italy,  and  attacking  Rome  it- 
self Claudian,  the  Roman  poet  who  lived  at  that  time,  in 
his  book  on  the  Gothic  war,  introduces  Alaric  speaking  thus 

Per  tot  populos  urbesque  cucurri : 

Fregi  Alpes,  galeisque  Padum  victricibus  hausi: 
Q,uia  restat  nisi  Roma  mihi  7 

"I  have  nin  over,"  says  Alaric,  "so  many  countries  and  cities,  I  have 
crossed  the  Alps  and  the  river  Po,  carrying  every  where  victory  with  my 
arms  :  what  then  remains  for  me  to  conquer,  but  Rome  itself]" 

Alaric  entered  Italy  in  402  at  the  head  of  his  Arian  Goths, 
Honorius  being  then  emperor  in  the  west,  and  Arcadius  in 
the  east,  but  was  defeated  in  two  different  battles  near  Pollen- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  91 

tia  and  Verona  by  Stilico,  Honorius's  general,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  out  of  Itjly  into  Dalmatia.  This  victory  was 
celebrated  by  the  before-mentioned  poet,  who  being-  a  pagan, 
boasted  much  of  the  pretended  special  protection  given  by  the 
pagan  deities  on  this  occasion  to  Rome.     Thus  speaks  he ; 

Hanc  urbem  insano  nuUus  qui  marte  petivit, 

Laetatus  violasse  redit.     Nee  xVumina  sedem  destituunt. 

Lib.  de  hello  Get. 
"No  one,"  says  he,  "has  presumed  to  attack  Rome,  that  has  not  re- 
turned from  it  confounded  at  his  own  folly  and  madness.     For  the  gods 
cease  not  to  protect  their  seat." 

Claudian,  when  he  wrote  this,  was  little  aware  of  what  was 
to  follovi^,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  lived  to  see  the  sack- 
ing of  Rome  by  the  same  Alaric,  which  happened  within  a 
few  years  after. 

In  the  year  406  Radagaisus,  another  Gothic  prince,  a  pa- 
gan, assembled  together  an  immense  army  of  Goths  and  other 
barbarous  people  inhabiting  the  north  side  of  the  Rhine  and 
Danube,  (some  say  four  hundred  thousand  men,)  and  advanced 
into  Italy  under  pretence  of  revenging  the  slaughter  of  their 
countrymen  made  at  Pollentia  and  Verona.  All  Italy  and 
Rome  itself  were  thrown  into  the  utmost  consternation.  The 
heathens,  who  were  still  numerous  in  the  city,  though  their 
idols  had  been  taken  away  by  the  emperor's  order  in  399, 
raised  an  uproar,  saying  Radagaisus  would  certainly  prevail, 
on  account  of  his  devotion  to  the  gods,  and  Rome  had  lost 
their  protection  by  neglecting  their  worship.  St.  Austin,  who 
was  then  at  Carthage,  was  informed  of  these  things,  and  men- 
tions the  pagans  of  the  city  of  Rome  making  their  complaint 
in  the  following  manner  ;  "  We  offer  no  more  sacrifices  to  the 
gods,  while  Radagaisus  sacrifices  to  them  every  day.  What 
can  we  then  expect,  but  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  this  barbarous 
but  religious  prince  ?"  De  civ.  Del  lib.  5.  c.  23.  To  these 
complaints  they  added  blasphemies  against  the  name  of 
Christ.  That  great  army  advanced  as  far  as  Florence, 
where  Stilico,  at  the  head  of  the  Roman  legions,  assisted  by 
a  body  of  Huns  and  Alans,  fell  suddenly  upon  it  and  entirely 
routed  it.  Radagaisus  himself  was  soon  after  taken  by  the 
Romans  and  put  to  death,  and  his  whole  army  perished. 
Thus  Almighty  God  would  not  suffer,  as  St.  Austin  remarks, 
that  a  pagan  prince  should  be  the  executor  of  his  justice,  lest 
the  idolatrous  people  of  Rome  should  ascribe  his  success  to 
the  false  gods  he  adored. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  406,  three  different  nations  of  the 
north  joined  their  arms  together,  the  Vandals  from  the  north 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

of  Germany,  the  Suevi  also  from  Germany,  and  the  Alans, 
people  of  Sarmatia  or  Poland  ;  and  having  passed  the  Rhine, 
they  spread  themselves  through  the  Roman  provinces  of  GauL 
They  sacked  the  towns,  they  plundered  the  country,  they  put 
to  death  many  christians,  and  carried  desolation  and  slaugh- 
ter wherever  they  went.  These  were  soon  followed  by  ano- 
ther swarm  from  Germany,  composed  of  Burgundians, 
Franks,  Saxons,  and  others:  so  that  the  whole  country  of 
Gaul  or  France  was  oversoread  with  barbarians.  St.  Je- 
rom,  who  lived  at  that  time,  thus  describes  these  irruptions  : 
"  A  multitude  of  barbarous  nations  have  possessed  themselves 
of  all  Gaul.  The  Q,uadi,  the  Vandals,  the  Sarm.atians,  the 
Alans,  the  Gepidi,  the  Heruli,  the  Saxons,  the  Burgundians, 
the  Alemanni,  and  the  Pannonians,*  have  laid  w^aste  the 
whole  country  between  the  Alps  and  the  Pyrenees,  between 
the  ocean  and  the  Rhine."  Episi.  xi.  ad.  Ager.  He  goes 
on  wuth  specifying  the  deploi'able  devastations  and  massacres 
committed  by  this  shoal  of  savages.  The  author  of  a  poem 
on  Providence,  who  bore  a  share  in  these  calamities,  says 
that,  "  if  the  ocean  itself  had  broken  through  its  bounds  and 
overflowed  all  Gaul,  it  could  not  have  done  more  mischief" 
It  appears  then  that  the  people  of  the  western  part  of  the  em- 
pire were  compelled  to  swallow  a  full  draught  of  wormwood, 
and  would  have  been  glad  to  purchase  two  pounds  of  wheat 
for  a  Roman  penny,  or  at  an  excessive  price. 

Alaric,  after  his  retreat,  as  we  have  seen,  into  Dalmatia, 
agreed  to  assist  the  Emperor  Honorius  with  his  troops 
against  the  enemies  of  Rome,  but  when  the  work  was  done, 
he  could  not  obtain  from  the  emperor  the  reward  he  thought 
due  for  his  services.  Upon  this  disappointment  he  in  408 
invaded  Italy  at  the  head  of  his  army.  It  was  upon  this  oc- 
casion, as  the  historians  Socrates  and  Sozemon  relate,  that 
a  holy  hermit  met  him,  and  exhorted  him  to  spare  Rome, 
and  not  bring  upon  himself  the  guilt  of  so  much  blood  and 
destruction ;  to  whom  Alaric  made  this  answer :  "  I  con- 
stantly feel  an  impulse  within  me,  that  gives  me  no  rest,  but 
presses  me  to  go  and  destroy  that  city."  He  pillaged  the 
country  as  he  went,  pitched  his  camp  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Rome,  and  besieged  it.  This  occasioned  a  famine  to  rage 
in  that  city ;  the  famine  gave  birth  to  a  plague  Avhich  carried 
off  numbers  of  people.  In  this  extremity,  the  senate  of 
Rome  offered  him  a  large  sum  of  money,  with  such  other  ad- 

*  By  the  Pannonians  St.  Jerom  seems  to  understand  the  Huns,  and  the 
Suevi  by  the  Alemanni. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  93 

Vantageous  proposals,  that  he  thought  fit  to  desist  from  his 
enterprise,  and  retired  into  Tuscany. 

Daring  these  times  inexpressible  were  the  devastations 
and  barbarities  committed  in  different  parts  of  the  empire  by 
numerous  invaders,  the  northern  wolves,  as  St.  Jerom  styles 
them.  Thus  speaks  he :  "  It  shocks  me  to  relate  the  mise- 
ries of  our  present  times.  For  twenty  years  past  and  more, 
from  Constantinople  to  the  Julian  Alps,  Ave  see  the  Roman 
blood  every  day  spilt.  Scythia,  Thracia,  Macedonia,  Darda- 
nia,  Dacia,  Thessalonica,  Achaia,  Epirus,  Dalmatia,  and  all 
the  Pannonians,  are  plundered  and  laid  waste  by  the  Goths, 
the  Sarmatians,  the  Q,uadi,  the  Alans,  the  Huns,  the  Vandals, 
and  the  Marcomans.  How  many  matrons,  virgins,  and  per- 
sons, of  noble  birth  have  been  abused  by  these  beasts  !  The 
bishops  are  carried  into  captivity,  the  priests  and  others  of 
the  clergy  murdered.  The  churches  are  thrown  down, 
horses  tied  to  the  altars  of  Christ,  and  the  ashes  of  the  mar- 
tyrs are  dug  up  from  their  tombs.  Every  where  groans  and 
lamentations  ;  every  where  death  appears  in  various  shapes. 
The  whole  Roman  empire  is  tumbling."  Epist.  3.  ad  He- 
Hod. 

In  409,  the  next  year  after  his  retiring  into  Tuscany,  Ala- 
ric,  impatient  that  some  articles  of  the  treaty  made  with  him 
were  not  fulfilled,  complained  to  Honorius,  but  met  with  a 
repulse.  Enraged  at  this  usage,  he  assembled  his  troops  and 
marched  towards  Rome.  The  emperor,  to  oppose  him,  took 
into  pay  ten  thousand  Huns,  and  sent  Valens  with  six  thou- 
sand men  to  reinforce  the  garrison  of  Rome :  but  this  officer 
fell  into  an  ambush  laid  for  him,  and  all  his  men  were  either 
killed  or  taken.  Alaric  advanced  to  Rome,  and  laid  close 
siege  to  it. 

And  now  the  time  approached,  which  the  Almighty  had 
fixed,  for  delivering  that  city  into  the  hands  of  Alaric.  •'  The 
day  of  destruction  is  at  hand,  and  the  time  makes  haste  to 
come;"  Deut.  xxxii.  3.5.  The  Pagans  were  still  numerous 
there,  and  averse  to  Christianity.  May  we  not  then  inter- 
rupt for  a  moment  the  thread  of  our  narrative,  and  consider 
the  Almighty  as  making  the  same  challenge  to  these  pagans, 
which  he  formerly  did  to  those  who  obstructed  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Jews  ?  "  Where  are  your  gods,  in  whom  you 
trust? — Let  them  arise  and  help  you,  and  protect  you  in 
your  distress.  See  ye,  that  I  alone  am,  and  there  is  no  other 
God  besides  me. — If  I  shall  whet  my  sword  as  the  lightning, 
and  my  hand  take  hold  on  judgment,  I  will  return  vengeance 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

on  my  enemies,  and  repay  them  that  hate  me,  I  will  mak's 
my  arrows  drunk  with  blood,  and  my  sword  shall  devour 
flesh."      Deut.  xxxii.  37,  &c. 

While  Alaric  lay  before  Rome,  Heraclion,  governor  of  Afri- 
ca for  the  Emperor  Honorius,  being  informed  of  the  siege, 
forbade  all  provisions  being  sent  from  Africa  to  the  city  of 
Rome,  which  used  to  be  chiefly  supplied  from  thence.  This 
caused  a  famine,  which  raged  to  a  degree  that  had  never  been 
felt  before.  "  Rome,"  says  St.  Jerom,  "  perished  by  famine 
before  it  perished  by  the  sword.  Such  was  the  force  of  hun- 
ger, that  they  fed  upon  the  most  execrable  meats ;  the  people 
tore  one  another  to  pieces  to  devour  their  flesh,  and  mothers 
did  not  even  spare  the  infants  at  their  breasts,  inhumanly  eat- 
ing what  they  had  lately  brought  into  the  world."  Epist.  16. 
ad.  Princip.  At  length,  Alaric  availing  himself  of  this  dis- 
tress, assaulted  the  town,  and  took  it.  This  happened  in  the 
year  410.  Thus  Rome,  that  proud  city,  the  mistress  of  the 
world,  which  had  subsisted  eleven  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
had  raised  to  herself  the  greatest  empire  that  had  ever  exist- 
ed, fell  a  prey  to  an  obscure  Goth,  who  could  scarce  be  said 
to  be  master  of  a  foot  of  land.  Rome  was  now  exposed 
to  the  rage  of  a  barbarous  exasperated  enemy.  Therefore 
"  wo  to  thee,  O  City  that  plunders,  shalt  not  thou  thyself  be 
also  plundered?"  Isai.  xxxiii.  1.  The  soldiers  were  allowed 
to  plunder  every  thing,  and  to  carry  off'  the  immense  riches, 
which  had  been  amassed  there,  and  were  the  spoils  of  all  the 
countries  of  the  world.  In  consequence  of  such  unbounded 
liberty  being  granted,  shocking  were  the  barbarities  commit- 
ted by  the  soldiers  to  extort  from  the  inhabitants  their  trea- 
sures. They  not  only  plundered,  but  slaughtered  the  inha- 
bitants on  all  sides.  That  renowned  people,  that  had  given 
laws  to  all  mankind,  were  now  become  the  prey  of  fire  and 
the  sword.  The  number  of  the  dead  was  so  great,  that  they 
lay  unburied ;  and  St.  Jerom  tells  us,  that  Rome  was  buried 
in  its  own  ashes.  The  august  palace  of  the  emperors,  and 
the  greatest  part  of  the  so  much  admired  elegant  buildings, 
were  consumed  by  the  flames.  The  historian  Procopius  even 
says,  the  conflagration  was  such  that  there  scarce  remained 
one  single  house  entire.  In  a  word,  Rome  perished  by  the 
four  greatest  plagues  that  can  afflict  the  human  species,  famine, 
pestilence,  sword,  and  fire. 

Here  then  appears  conspicuous  the  judgment  of  God  upon 
ancient  Rome,  and  how  the  Roman  people,  conformably  to 
our  text,  were   drenched  with  their  own  blood,  in  conse- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  95 

quence  of  their  forefathers  having  shed  in  their  persecutions 
the  blood  of  his  saints.  Here  also  we  see  fulfilled  that  pro- 
phecy of  Daniel,  where,  speaking  of  the  fourth  beast,  which 
represented  Rome  with  its  dominion,  he  says :  "  I  saw  that 
the  beast  was  slain,  and  that  its  body  was  destroyed,  and 
given  to  the  fire  to  be  burnt."      Dan.  vii.  1 1. 

The  fall  of  Rome  was  equally  an  object  of  surprise  and 
sorrow  to  many  nations,  on  account  of  the  extraordinary  fig- 
ure it  had  made  m  the  world.  St.  Jerom,  who  was  then  at 
Bethlehem,  and  learned  the  whole  account  from  .some  Chris- 
tians who  had  escaped  out  of  the  dismal  scene  and  come  to 
him,  laments  the  dreadful  fate  of  that  ancient  and  powerful 
city,  and  describes  it  by  the  following  verses,  with  which 
Virgil  describes  the  conflagration  and  destruction  of  Troy. 

Q,uis  cladem  illius  noctus,  quis  funera  fando 
Explicit  aut  possit  iacrymis  aequare  labores  1 
Urbs  antiqua  fuit,  muhos  dominuta  per  annos 
Plurima  perque  vias  sternuntur  inertia  passim 
Corpora  perque  domos,  et  plurima  mortis  imago. 

iEneid,  lib.  2. 
What  tongue  can  tell  the  slaughter  of  that  night  1 
What  eyes  can  weep  the  sorrows  and  affright  1 
An  ancient  and  imperial  city  falls, 
The  streets  are  filled  with  frequent  funerals  : 
All  parts  resound  with  tumults,  plaints,  and  fears. 
And  grisly  death  in  sundry  shapes  appears. 

Dryden's  Transl. 

We  shall  beg  leave  to  add  one  verse  more  out  of  the  same 
poem : 

Venit  summa  dies  et  ineluctabile  tempus. 

The  fatal  day,  th'  appointed  hour  is  come. 

It  is  however  to  be  observed,  that  in  this  terrible  calamity 
and  severe  judgment  of  heaven.  Almighty  God  showed  a  pe- 
culiar regard  to  his  own  people  ;  for  Alaric  had  ordered  that 
the  two  churches  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  should  be  places 
of  refuge,  and  that  whoever  retired  there  should  be  safe.  The 
Christians  therefore  fled  thither,  and  with  them  some  also  of 
the  pagans,  who  by  that  means  sustained  no  hurt. 

For  three  days,  the  city  lay  under  the  tyranny  of  the 
Goths;  who  then  leaving  it,  passed  into  the  provinces  of 
Campania,  Lucania,  and  Calabria,  wasting  the  country,  and 
loading  themselves  with  the  spoils  of  it.  But  being  arrived 
at  Consentia,  a  town  of  Calabria,  as  if  the  Almighty  chose 
to  drop  the  rod  of  justice  he  made  use  of,  there  Alaric  sick- 
ened and  died  in  a  few  days.  Athaulph  his  successor,  made 
peace  with  the  emperor,  and  obtained  for  himself  and  his 
Goths  a  settlement  in  the  southern  parts  of  France. 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

But  the  anger  of  God  was  not  yet  assuaged.  The  Vari' 
dais,  the  Alans,  and  the  Suevi,  not  content  with  having  ra- 
vaged Gaul,  had  passed  the  Pyrenean  mountains  in  409,  and 
entering  Spain,  another  province  of  the  empire,  defeated  the 
Roman  armies  there.  The  calamities  caused  by  these  savage 
people  in  that  country  Avere  most  dreadful  Besides  the  de- 
struction made  by  the  sword,  the  famine  became  so  excessive, 
that  many  did  not  scruple  to  eat  human  flesh,  and  even  mo- 
thers murdered  their  own  children  to  feed  upon  them.  To 
these  miseries  was  also  added  the  plague,  which  carried  oflf 
multitudes ;  and  the  wild  beasts  accustomed  to  human  flesh 
from  the  number  of  carcasses  that  had  perished  by  the  sword, 
famine,  and  plague,  assaulted  even  the  living  and  devoured 
them.  This  account  we  have  from  Idatius,  a  bishop  of  Spain, 
in  that  century.  The  three  above-mentioned  barbarous  na- 
tions, after  the  reduction  of  the  country,  in  411^  divided  its 
provinces  among  themselves,  and  settled  there. 

Attila,  king  of  the  Huns,  a  pagan  people  of  Scythia,  now 
Tartary,  broke  into  different  provinces  of  the  empire  with  a 
prodigious  army,  called  himself  the  "  Scourge  of  God,"  and 
answered  that  name  by  his  devastations  and  barbarities,  de- 
stroying ail  before  him  by  fire  and  sword.  He  was  feared  as 
a  more  fierce  and  savage  barbarian,  than  either  Alaric  or 
Radagaisus.  In  the  year  451  he  invaded  Gaul,  and  was 
there  beat  by  the  Roman  army  assis-ted  by  the  Goths,  Alans, 
Franks,  and  Burgundians.  Upon  his  defeat  he  retired  into 
Pannonia,  which  became  the  seat  of  the  Huns,  part  of  that 
country  being  called  from  them  Hungaria.  Attila  having 
reinforced  his  army,  marched  into  Italy,  where  he  spread 
destruction.  As  he  advanced  in  his  career,  he  was  met  by 
St.  Leo,  pope,  who  addressed  him  with  so  much  energy,  elo- 
quence, and  dignity,  that  the  barbarian  let  himself  be  per- 
suaded to  retire  out  of  Italy. 

The  Vandals  had  got  footing  in  Africa  from  the  year  427, 
and  afterwards  a  fixed  settlement  there  by  agreement  with  the 
emperor.  In  455,  Genseric,  their  king,  was  invited  into 
Italy  by  the  Empress  Eudoxia,  through  a  disgust  she  had 
taken  to  Maximus,  her  husband,  who  forced  her  to  marry 
him.  Genseric  had  accepted  with  pleasure  the  invitation, 
and  landed  in  Italy  with  an  army  of  Vandals  and  Moors. 
Maximus,  who  had  usurped  the  empire,  fled  ;  and  Genseric 
entering  Rome  without  opposition,  delivered  it  up  to  his  sol- 
diers, who  pillaged  it  for  fourteen  days,  and  then  set  fire  to 
it.     Genseric  left  the  place   loaded  with  riches,  and  at  his 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRlST-IAN  CHURCH.  97 

return  into  Africa  seized  upon  the  whole  remains  of  the  Ro- 
man dominions  there. 

Gdoacer,  king  of  the  Heruli,  a  people  of  that  part  of  Ger- 
many now  called  Mecklenburgh,  invaded  Italy  in  the  year 
476  with  a  powerful  army.  He  defeated  the  Roman  troops 
under  the  command  of  Oresteg,  took  the  city  of  Pavia  by 
force,  and  exposed  it  to  the  pillage  of  his  soldiers,  who  de- 
stroyed all  with  fire  and  sword.  Here  Odoacer  was  saluted 
king  of  Italy.  He  then  advanced  to  Rome,  where  he  deposed 
the  Emperor  Augustulus,  and  thus  effectually  established  his 
own  regal  title. 

In  Augustulus  ceased  the  Roman  empire  in  the  west. 
The  imperial  title  was  now  lost,  the  authority  of  Rome  was 
extinguished,  its  dignity  trampled  under  foot,  and  its  extensive 
donio....  torn  to  pieces,  and  parcelled  out  among  a  set  of  bar- 
barous people.  Spain  was  divided  among  the  Goths,  Alans, 
Suevi,  and  others.  Africa  was  possessed  by  the  Vandals. 
Britain  having  been  before  abandoned  by  the  Romans,  w^as 
subdued  by  the  Saxons,  who  had  lately  assisted  the  Britons 
against  their  enemies,  the  Scots  and  the  Picts.  The  Goths, 
Burgundians,  and  Franks,  had  erected  their  several  king- 
doms  in  Gaul :  and  now  at  last  Rome  itself,  with  Italy,  the 
fountains  of  waters,  that  had  triumphed  over  the  rest  of  the 
world,  became  enslaved  to  a  barbarous  king.  In  these  latter 
times  Italy,  by  the  ravages  of  the  invaders,  had  been  depopu- 
lated, and  the  imperial  armies  had  consisted  chiefly  of  barba- 
rians, as  Goths,  Huns,  Alans,  Heruli,  Suevi,  and  others,  hired 
under  the  name  of  auxiliaries.  These  soon  saw  their  own 
strength,  and  the  weakness  of  their  masters.  They  therefore 
shared  out  to  themselves  such  morsels  of  the  empire  as  they 
most  relished. 

Theodoric,  king  of  those  Goths  that  were  settled  in  Italy, 
got  Odoacer  treacherously  murdered  in  493,  and  himself 
proclaimed  king  of  all  Italy,  This  country  from  that  time 
remained  under  the  power  of  the  Goths,  till  Justinian  the 
Great,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  sent  thither  his  general, 
Belisarius,  who  subdued  a  considerable  part  of  it,  reduced 
the  Gothic  power  to  a  low  ebb,  and  united  Rome  to  the  east- 
ern empire.  Thus  was  that  unhappy  city  tossed  from  hand 
to  hand,  and  now  become  a  member  of  that  empire,  of  which 
she  had  formerly  been  the  head.  However,  Totila  being 
chosen  king  of  the  Goths  in  Italy,  found  means  to  retrieve  the 
declining  state  of  their  affairs.  He  recovered  a  great  part  of 
the  country,  and  in  54G  invested  Rome,  which  he  blocked  up 
9 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

SO  closely,  that  it  could  receiv^e  no  provisions.  This  occa- 
sioned such  a  raging-  famine,  that  the  inhabitants  were  reduced 
to  the  utmost  extremity  of  distress,  feeding  upon  the  most  filthy 
things,  even  their  own  excrements.  Belisarius  attempted  to 
send  in  provisions,  but  the  attempt  proved  unsuccessful.  The 
arm  of  God  was  still  lifted  up  against  Rome,  and  was  to  strike 
another  blow,  before  the  divine  justice  could  be  finally  satisfied. 
By  a  piece  of  treachery  in  the  sentinels  posted  at  one  of  the 
gates,  Totila  was  admitted  in  the  night  into  the  city,  which  he 
gave  up  to  the  pillage  of  his  soldiers.  The  Goths  spent 
several  days  in  plundering  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the  senators 
and  richest  people  were  even  stripped  of  every  thing,  that  they 
were  necessitated  to  beg  their  bread  of  the  very  Goths  who 
had  thus  reduced  them.  The  walls  of  Rome  were  thrown 
down,  the  public  monuments  demolished,  the  city  was  burnt, 
and  Totila  carried  away  with  him  all  the  inhabitants;  so 
that  the  place  remained  desert  for  above  forty  days.  Procop. 
lib.  3.  c.  12.  lib.  4.  c.  13.  and  Evagr.  lib.  2.  c.  7. — Thus 
was  completed  the  destruction  of  ancient  Rome. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  THIRD  AGE. 

Having  in  the  preceding  chapter  elucidated  by  plain  his- 
tory, the  brief  enigmatical  description  of  the  fall  of  the  Ro- 
man empire,  which  St.  John  gives  us  in  the  third  seal,  trum- 
pet, and  vial ;  we  are  now  better  prepared  to  understand  the 
other,  more  explicit  account,  he  has  added  in  the  17th  and 
18th  chapters  of  the  Apocalypse.  The  event  is  so  interesting 
to  the  Christian  Church,  that  he  enlarges  on  the  circum- 
stances of  it,  particularly  on  the  ruin  of  Rome  herself,  as  she 
had  been  the  greatest  enemy  of  Christ  upon  earth,  the  instru- 
ment of  Satan  in  opposing  the  worship  of  God,  and  in  fine 
the  centre  of  idolatry. — Thus  speaks  our  prophet: 

Apoc.  chap.  xvii.  1.  "  And  there  came  one  of  the  seven 
angels,  who  had  the  seven  vials,  and  spoke  w^ith  me,  saying: 
Come,  I  will  show  thee  the  condemnation  of  the  great  harlot, 
who  sitteth  upon  many  waters. 

V.  2.  "  With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication  :  and  they  who  inhabit  the  earth  have  been  made 
drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  whoredom. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  99 

V.  3.  "  And  he  took  me  away  in  spirit  into  the  desert. 
And  I  saw  a  woman  sitting  upon  a  scarlet-coloured  beast  full 
of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 

V.  4.  "  And  the  woman  was  clothed  round  about  with 
purple  and  scarlet,  and  gilt  with  gold,  and  precious  stones  and 
pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand,  full  of  the  abomina- 
tion and  filthiness  of  her  fornication. 

V.  5.  "  And  on  her  forehead  a  name  was  written ;  a  mys- 
tery ;  Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  the  fornications,  and 
the  abominations  of  the  earth. 

V.  6.  "  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus.  And  I 
wondered,  when  I  had  seen  her,  with  great  admiration." 

St.  John  is  here  invited,  ver.  1.  to  be  a  spectator  of  the  divine 
punishment  upon  the  great  harlot,  who  represents  pagan  Rome, 
as  we  shall  see  presently.  The  invitation  comes  with  propriety 
from  one  of  the  seven  angels  who  held  the  vials  of  the  wrath 
of  God,  as  it  was  the  function  of  those  angels  to  execute  the 
divine  judgments  on  mankind.  The  Apostle  is  therefore  taken 
up,  as  he  thought,  by  the  angel,  v.  3,  into  a  desert,  that  very 
desert  where  Rome  stood.  The  country  round  that  metropo- 
lis of  the  world  was  filled  with  towns  and  inhabitants  while 
she  maintained  her  power,  but  when  the  barbarous  nations 
came  upon  her  like  furious  lions,  they  laid  waste  the  lands 
all  around  for  many  miles,  the)'-  razed  the  towns  to  the  ground, 
and  thus  reduced  the  whole  country  to  a  desolate  desert.  In 
this  condition  it  was  when  Rome  was  destroyed,  and  thus 
nearly  it  has  remained  ever  since,  as  a  lasting  monument  of 
the  divine  M^'ath.  St.  John  being  placed  in  this  desert  sees 
the  great  harlot  or  the  woman,  sitting  upon  a  scarlet-coloured 
beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  &c.  and  being  struck  with  amazement  at  so  extraordi- 
nary a  sight, 

V.  7.  "  The  angel  said  to  me  :  why  dost  thou  wonder  1  I 
will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  which 
carrieth  her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  ; 
which  the  angel  does  by  parts  thus  : 

V.  18.  "  The  woman  which  thou  sawest,  is  the  great  city, 
which  hath  kingdom  over  the  kings  of  the  earth." 

This  great  city,  which  has  dominion  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  can  be  no  other  but  imperial  Rome,  which  had  con- 
quered almost  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  known  world.  Impe- 
rial heathen  Rome  is  therefore  evidently  meant  and  represented 
by  the  woman  or  great  harlot.     And  thus  it  has  been  under- 


100  HISTORY  OP  THE  CHRIST1A.N  CHURCH. 

Stood  by  the  ancient  fathers  and  by  the  modern  interpreters 
of  the  Catholic  Church— But  furthermore, 

V.  15.  "  And  he  (the  angel)  said  to  me,"  says  St.  John: 
"  the  waters  which  thou  sawest,  where  the  harlot  sitleth,  are 
peoples*  and  nations  and  tongues." 

The  harlot  was  f^aid,  v.  1,  to  sit  upon  many  waters,  which 
the  angel  here  interprets  to  represent  the  many  kingdoms, 
states,  and  countries,  over  which  she  ruled.  Again,  the  angel 
tells  him,  that  the  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  on  which 
the  woman  sitteth,  v.  9,  which  is  to  say  clearly,  the  seven 
mountains  on  which  ancient  Rome  was  built.  These  hills 
are,  the  Capitoline,  Palatine,  Aventine,  Ceelias,  Esqueline, 
duirinal,  and  Vimiiial,  some  of  which  can  scarce  be  deemed 
a  part  of  modern  Rome,  as  being  now  very  little  inhabited. 

The  woman  being  now  well  known,  we  are  next  presented 
with  a  description  of  her  person  and  qualities.  She  appears 
dressed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  and  gilt  with  gold  and  precious 
stones  and  pearls,  v.  4.  :  the  imperial  lady  is  thus  decked  out 
in  the  most  sumptuous  manner,  proudly  displaying  the  great 
abundance  of  her  riches,  amassed  from  the  spoils  of  the  whole 
w^orld.  Purple  was  the  usual  robe  of  the  emperors  of  Rome, 
and  her  scarlet  shows  her  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  mar- 
tyrs. She  holds  in  her  hand  a  golden  cup  full  of  the  abomi- 
nation and  filthiness  of  her  fornication,  v.  4,  a  common  scrip- 
tural expression  for  the  abominations  of  idolatry  ;  and  wi'h 
these  she  had  notoriously  polluted  herself  For  Rome,  not 
content  with  worshipping  her  own  heathenish  gods,  she 
adopted  those  of  all  the  countries  and  nations  she  subdued. 
She  thought  by  this  extravagant  religious  worship  to  render 
all  the  deities  propitious  to  her,  and  to  this  she  ascribed  the 
success  of  her  arms.  "  Thus  it  is,"  said  the  Romans,  "that  this 
city  has  extended  her  empire  beyond  the  rising  and  setting 
sun,  and  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  ocean,  because  she  venerates 
the  gods  she  conquers,  she  makes  foreign  deities  her  own, 
and  even  raises  altars  to  those  that  are  unknown  to  her." 
Mm.  Fel.  Oct.  In  this  manner  were  her  idolatrous  abomina- 
tions so  niuki plied,  that  there  are  said  to  have  been  420  hea- 
thenish temples  in  that  city.     Thus  writes  a  Roman  poet; 

Sed  quae  de  septcm  totum  circiinispicit  orbem 

Montibus,  Imperii,  Roiua,  DtuiinquL'  locus. 

Ovid.  lib.  1.  Trist. 
*■  Rome,  which  from  seven  mountains  overlooks  the  whole  world, 
Is  the  centre  of  empire,  and  the  abode  of  the  gods." 

She  even  carried  her  superstition  so  far,  lest  any  unknown 
*  In  the  Greek  text,  "  peoples  and  multitudes." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  101 

§"0(1  should  not  receive  due  worship,  as  to  build  a  temple, 
which  she  dedicated  to  all  the  deities,  calling  it  on  that  ac- 
count. Pantheon,  "  the  temple  of  all  the  gods."  "  This  city," 
said  St.  Leo,  "  not  knowing  the  Author  of  her  elevation,  while 
she  ruled  over  almost  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  submitted  to 
serve  all  their  gods  :  and  she  imagined  herself  to  be  the  more 
religious,  as  she  rejected  no  kind  of  idolatrous  worship." — 
"  Insomuch,  that  whatever  superstitions  had  place  in  other 
countries,  they  were  all  carefully  transplanted  to  Rome." — 
Horn.  I.  Nat.  in  Ap.  Petri  et  Pauli.  In  fine,  such  was  the 
filthiness  of  her  fornication,  such  the  excess  of  her  prostitution 
to  idolatry,  that  she  even  deified  her  impious  emperors,  raised 
statutes  to  them  to  which  incense  was  offered,  and  built  tem- 
ples to  their  memories. 

Such  was  ancient  Rome,  the  great  Harlot,  with  whom  the 
kings  of  the  earth  committed  fornication  ;  and  they  who  in- 
habited the  earth,  were  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her 
whoredom,  v.  2.  She  was  not  only  intoxicated  herself  with  all 
the  delusions  of  idolatry,  but  she  offered  her  golden  cup  all 
round  to  others.  The  unparalleled  degree  of  power  and 
grandeur  to  which  she  was  elevated,  raised  her  to  such  a 
height  of  admiration  in  the  eyes  of  all  nations,  that  they 
vieAved  her  with  the  utmost  deference  and  respect,  and  readily 
embraced  whatever  superstition  she  herself  followed  or  re- 
commended. She  had  moreover  the  disposal  of  kingdoms, 
governments,  riches,  and  dignities :  what  wonder  then,  if  with 
such  charms  she  debauched  the  kings  and  people  of  the 
earth? 

This  same  woman  is  farther  said  to  carry  on  her  forehead 
the  following  inscription  :  a  mystery  :  Babylon  the  great,  the 
mother  of  the  fornications,  and  the  abominations  of  the  earth, 
v.  5.  Here  is  a  mystery,  or  an  enigma  to  be  unravelled,  viz. 
Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  the  fornications,  and  the 
abominations  of  the  earth.  The  reader,  we  apprehend,  is 
already  prepared  in  great  measure  for  the  solving  of  this 
enigma.  Babylon  the  great,  is  the  great  imperial  city  of  pagan 
Rome.  And  she  is  the  woman,  as  we  have  just  above  shown, 
who  is  the  mother  of  the  fornications  and  abominations  of  the 
earth.  This  is  the  explanation  of  the  proposed  mystery.  But 
to  make  it  more  clear,  that  by  Babylon  the  great  is  here 
meant  idolatrous  Rome,  we  appeal  to  the  angel's  words  :  The 
woman  which  thou  sawest,  is  the  great  city,  which  hath  king- 
doms over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  v.  18.  ;  which,  as  we  have 
before  observed,  plainly  points  out  the  great  ancient  city  of 
9* 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Rome,  that  domineered  over  the  greatest  part  of  the  kingdoms 
of  the  then  known  world.  The  woman  therefore  is  the  image 
of  that  city,  and  in  the  inscription  on  her  forehead  she  is  styled 
Babylon  the  great :  consequently  Babylon  the  great,  is  here 
the  same  with  the  city  of  Rome.  In  the  primitive  ages  this 
figurative  name  of  Babylon  was  frequently  given  to  heatheo 
Rome  by  the  Christians,  on  account  of  the  resemblance  of  the 
characters  of  those  two  cities,  for  their  idolatry,  and  for  theii 
oppressing,  the  one  the  Jews,  the  other  the  Christians.  St. 
Peter  dates  his  first  letter  from  Babylon,  1  Pet.  v.  13,  that  is, 
from  Rome,  as  St.  Jerom  and  Eusebius  tell  us.  ''The  appel- 
lation of  Babylon,"  said  Tertullian,  "is  used  by  St.  John  for 
the  city  of  Rome,  because  she  resembles  ancient  Babylon,  in 
the  extent  of  her  walls,  in  her  haughtiness  on  account  of  her 
dominion,  and  in  persecuting  the  saints."  Lib.  Adv.  Jud. 
"  Rome  is  a  second  Babylon,"  says  also  St.  Austin,  "  and  a 
daughter  of  the  ancient  Babylon,"  De  Civit,  lib.  22.  c.  18, 
Babylon  the  great  is  therefore  sufficiently  distinguished:  but 
her  character  is  completed,  and  she  appears  in  plain  colours,  in 
what  follows :  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  the  woman  drunk 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  wdth  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus,"  V.  6.  This  inhuman  woman,  this  impious  Jezabel, 
this  cruel  persecutrix,  has  drenched  herself  with  so  much 
Christian  blood,  which  she  has  spilt,  that  she  appears  to  be 
drunk  with  it.  Who  is  this  but  idolatrous  persecuting  Rome  ? 
Innumerable  were  the  martyrs  she  put  to  death,  throughout 
the  vast  extent  of  her  dominions,  and  even  in  her  own  bosom, 
the  city  itself  Innumerable  likewise  were  the  other  saints  or 
holy  confessors,  who,  though  not  slain,  were  by  her  condemned 
to  lose  some  of  their  limbs,  and  had  an  eye  bored  out,  their 
tongues  plucked  away,  or  the  sinews  of  a  leg  or  a  thigh  cut, 
&c.  or  in  fine,  were  put  to  tortures  that  tore  away  their  flesh 
and  drained  their  blood.  We  have  seen  the  account  of  ten 
dreadful  persecutions,  which  swept  away  an  infinite  multitude 
of  Christians ;  and  all  these  persecutions  were  the  work  of 
the  Roman  emperors,  and  their  substitutes  in  the  provinces. 
It  is  then  apparent  who  the  wom.an  is,  that  was  seen  drunk 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus. 

After  the  description  of  the  woman,  we  are  then  favoured 
with  an  account  of  the  beast  that  carries  her,  v.  7.  The  woman 
being  the  image  of  the  city  of  Rome,  the  beast  on  which  she 
sits,  naturally  represents  the  Roman  empire.  And  as  the  wo- 
man was  styled  the  mother  of  fornication  or  idolatry ;  conse- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  103 

quently  Rome  was  the  seat  and  centre  of  idolatry  ;  and  in  like 
manner  by  the  beast  the  Roman  empire  is  represented  as  the 
empire  of  idolatry.  The  colour  of  the  beast  is  scarlet,  v.  3, 
an  emblem  of  its  sanguinary  disposition :  and  it  is  said  to  be 
full  of  names  of  blasphemy,  or  marked  over  with  the  names 
of  the  heathenish  Roman  gods,  the  greatest  indignity  that  can 

be  offered  to  the  majesty  of  the  Supreme  Being. Then  the 

angel,  who  promised  to  St.  John  to  discover  to  him,  v.  7,  the 
mystery  both  of  the  woman  and  the  beast,  tells  him  : 

V.  8.  "  The  beast,  which  thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not,  and 
shall  come  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  destruction : 
and  the  inhabitants  on  the  earth  (whose  names  are  not  written 
in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundations  of  the  world)  shall 
wonder,  seeing  the  beast,  that  was,  and  is  not."* 

Behold  a  very  mysterious  explication  of  a  mystery.  But 
to  unfold  it :  here  is  expressed  the  state  of  the  beast,  as  it  pass- 
es through  different  periods  of  time.  The  beast  or  the  Roman 
idolatrous  empire  was,  that  is,  existed  for  a  term  of  time :  then 
is  not,  or  exists  no  more  as  the  empire  of  idolatry,  but  is 
changed  into  a  Christian  empire  :  which  happened  when  Con- 
stantino the  Great  became  emperor,  suppressed  the  power  of 
idolatr3^  expelled  Satan,  and  established  Christianity.  But  it 
is  added,  "and  the  beast  shall  come  up  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  and  go  into  destruction :"  the  Roman  idolatrous  empire 
will  rise  up  again  under  Antichrist  from  the  bottomless  pit  or 
hell,  because  Satan  will  be  loosed  before  the  end  of  the  world, 
and  will  revive  idolatry  chiefly  by  means  of  that  wicked  man, 
Antichrist,  who  will  become  master  of  the  ancient  Roman  do- 
minions. And  the  inhabitants  on  the  earth — shall  wonder, 
seeing  the  beast,  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is ;  all  the  world 
will  be  struck  with  amazement,  at  seeing  the  idolatrous  Roman 
empire  re-appear,  which  had  been  so  long  ago  destroyed.  But 
the  reign  of  Antichrist  will  soon  go  into  destruction,  as  it  will 
last  no  more  than  three  ^^ears  and  a  half  This  last  period 
of  the  beast  will  be  more  fully  explained  in  its  due  place. 
The  angel  proceeds  in  his  explication  : 

V.  9.  "  And  here  is  the  understanding,  that  hath  wisdom. f 
The  seven  heads,  are  seven  mountains,  upon  which  the  wo- 
man sitteth,  and  they  are  seven  kings. 

V.  10.  "Five  are  fallen,  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet 
come :  and  when  he  is  come,  he  must  remain  a  short  time." 

Let  the  understanding,  that  is  endowed  with  wisdom  here 

♦  In  the  Greek  text  is  addded,  "  And  yet  is." 

tin  the  Greek,  "  here  the  understanaing  that  hath  wisdom." 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

take  notice :  the  seven  heads,  which  are  upon  the  beast,  are 
seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth ;  we  have  already- 
observed  that  ancient  Rome  stood  upon  seven  mountains.  But 
besides,  they,  the  seven  heads,  are  seven  kings,  or  seven  Ro- 
man emperors  who  are  particularly  distinguished  as  the  chiet 
supporters  of  idolatry,  and  the  most  virulent  persecutors  of 
the  Christian  religion.  These  are,  as  we  have  already  re- 
marked, Nero,  Domitian,  Severus,  Decius,  Valerian,  Diode- 
sian,  and  Antichrist.  Five  are  fallen  :  we  saw,  before,  the  suc- 
cessive periods  of  the  beast  with  regard  to  its  existence ;  here 
we  have  the  succession  of  its  heads.  Five  of  them  are  fallen 
or  gone;  namely,  Nero,  Domitian,  Severus,  Decius,  and  Va- 
lerian, by  whom  the  idolatrous  empire  was  supported  for  a 
time  j  one  is,  the  sixth  or  last  of  that  period,  viz.  Dioclesian, 
with  whom  the  reign  of  idolatry  falls  :  and  so  it  happened,  by 
the  accession  of  Constantino  to  the  imperial  throne.  Here 
then  is  interrupted  the  succession  of  the  heathen  and  persecut- 
ing emperors  for  a  long  space  of  time ;  for  the  other  is  not  yet 
come,  the  seventh  Roman  emperor.  Antichrist,  who  will  come 
only  in  the  latter  days  ;  and  when  he  is  come,  he  must  remain 
a  short  time,  three  years  and  a  half,  as  v/e  shall  see  in  the 
sequel.  No  notice  is  here  taken  of  Julian  the  apostate,  who 
broke  indeed  the  series  of  the  Christian  emperors,  and  attempt- 
ed to  re-establish  idolatry,  but  was  taken  off  after  a  short 
reign  of  less  than  two  years — The  angel  continues; 

V.  11.  "  And  the  beast,  which  was,  and  is  not,  the  same  also 
is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  gocth  into  destruc- 
tion." 

Here  is  a  new  state  of  the  beast,  which  begins  at  the  fall  of 
the  sixth  head,  or  Dioclesian,  with  whom  the  beast  itself  or  the 
power  of  idolatry  also  fell.  On  this  account  the  former  sim- 
ple appellation  of  the  beast,  is  now  changed  into  the  beast, 
which  was,  and  is  not,  as  being  now  no  more  what  it  was, 
having  lost  all  power,  and  that  power  being  transferred  into 
the  hands  of  Christian  emperors.  In  this  situation  the  beast 
is  said  to  be  an  eighth  king,  that  is,  the  Roman  idolatrous  peo- 
ple, though  left  without  a  heathen  prince  at  their  head  by  the 
death  of  Dioclesian  and  succession  of  Constantino,  are  never- 
theless to  be  reputed  equivalent  to  an  eighth  pagan  emperor, 
because  they  retain  still  their  former  attachment  to  paganism 
and  their  hatred  to  Christianity.  And  thus  they  are  of  the 
seven,  as  being  alike  in  their  dispositions  to  the  seven  above- 
mentioned  heathen  emperors.  But  they  go  into  destruction  : 
this  idolatrous  people  will  soon  disappear,  as  we  shall  see, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  105 

either  by  being  destroyed,  or  by  their  conversion  to  the  Chris- 
tian religion. 

After  the  account  of  the  beast  and  its  seven  heads,  the  angel 
proceeds  to  explain  to  St.  John  the  meaning  of  the  ten  horns 
of  the  beast. 

V.  12.  "  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest,  are  ten  kings, 
which  have  not  yet  received  kingdom,  but  shall  receive  power 
as  kings,  one  hour  after  the  beast.* 

V.  13.  "These  have  one  design:  and  their  strength  and 
power  they  shall  deliver  to  the  beast." 

The  ten  horns  denote  then  ten  kings  or  ten  powers,  namely, 
the  Goths,  Huns,  Alans,  Vandals,  Saxons,  Burgundians, 
Franks,  Heruli,  Suevi,  and  Quadi,  the  chief  of  the  barbarous 
nations  that  invaded  the  western  Roman  empire  in  the  fifth 
century.  These  have  not  yet  received  kingdom  or  dominion, 
viz.  at  the  beginning  of  this  period  of  the  Christian  emperors, 
or  of  the  beast  that  was  and  is  not ;  but  they  will  receive  power 
as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast,  that  is,  they  will  be  command- 
ed by  their  own  chiefs,  and  will  engage  by  treaty  to  serve  for 
one  hour  or  a  while  as  auxiliaries  to  the  beast,  that  is,  to  the 
pagan  Roman  armies.  Thus  the  Prophet  continues  to  de- 
scribe the  succession  of  the  changes  that  were  to  happen  in 
the  Roman  empire.  The  above  mentioned  nations  come  all 
with  one  design  of  relinquishing  their  own  barren  northern 
countries,  and  settling  themselves  in  the  rich  provinces  of  the 
Roman  empire.  But  before  they  accomplish  this  design,  their 
strength  and  power  they  shall  deliver  to  the  beast:  they  effec- 
tually served  as  auxiliaries  to  the  Roman  armies,  according  to 
agreement,  and  helped  to  defend  the  empire  against  its  enemies; 
as  we  have  seen  in  the  history  above  given.  In  this  quality 
they  served  under  the  emperors  Constantius,  Valens,  Theodo- 
sius,  Honorius,  &c. 

V.  14.  "  These  shall  fight  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb 
shall  overcome  them :  because  he  is  the  Lord  of  lords,  and 
King  of  kings ;  and  they  that  are  with  him,  are  called,  and 
elect,  and  faithful." 

All  those  different  people,  signified  by  the  ten  horns,  were 
either  pagans  or  heretics.  Being  therefore  bitter  enemies  to 
the  Catholic  Christians,  they  in  their  irruptions  wreaked  their 
malice  and  rancour  upon  them:  they  plundered  their  towns 
and  country,  and  destroyed  them  with  fire  and  sword.  (See 
the  history  above  given.)  And  thus  these  barbarous  people 
fought  against  the  Lamb,  or  Christ,  but  the  Lamb  will  over- 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  with  the  beast,"  and  so  read  St.  Iraeneus  and  others. 


106  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

come  them,  in  turning  their  hearts,  and  converting  them  into 
his  votaries.  And  in  effect,  some  time  after  they  had  settled 
themselves  in  the  Roman  provinces,  a  part  of  them  were  de- 
stroyed in  the  wars  that  ensued,  and  the  rest  gradually  abjured 
their  idolatry  and  errors,  the  pagans  becoming  Christians, 
and  the  Arians  and  other  heretics  going  over  to  the  Catholics. 
Among  other  writers,  thus  speaks  Orosius,  an  historian  of 
that  age :  "  Who  know^  but  Providence  thus  permitted  the 
barbarians  to  become  masters  of  the  Roman  provinces,  with 
a  view  to  effect  their  salvation?  Do  not  we  see  that  the 
churches  of  Christ,  both  in  the  eastern  and  western  parts,  are 
filled  with  Huns,  with  Suevi,  with  Vandals,  with  Burgundians, 
and  with  divers  other  people,  who  have  been  converted  to  the 
faith."  Such  was  the  victory  of  the  Lamb;  for  Christ  is  Lord 
of  lords,  and  King  of  kings :  he  is  a  Sovereign  over  all  king- 
doms and  states:  he  is  Master  of  the  human  mind,  and  he  can 
call  to  the  faith  whom  he  pleases.  To  work  the  conversion 
of  those  people,  he  employed  his  servants,  the  ministers  of 
his  Church,  whom  he  called  to  that  function,  elected  them  or 
culled  them  out  of  the  whole  body  of  his  people  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  they  approved  themselves  faithful  to  their  charge. 
Incredible  indeed  was  the  zeal  exerted  by  the  church  in  those 
times  for  the  conversion  of  the  above-mentioned  pagans  and 
heretics.  To  mention  only  a  few  instances :  St.  Remigius  and 
others  converted  the  Gauls  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries. 
The  Arian  Visigoths  in  Spain  were  brought  over  to  the  Ca- 
tholic faith  about  the  year  600,  in  the  reign  of  their  king  Rec- 
cared.  About  the  same  time  the  Saxons  in  Britain  received 
the  Christian  doctrine  from  St.  Austin  and  his  companions. 
St.  Willibrod  carried  the  faith  into  Friseland;  and  St.  Rupert 
and  St.  Boniface  with  his  associates  converted  many  nations 
of  Germany  in  the  seventh  and  eight  centuries. 

V.  16.  "  And  the  ten  horns,  which  thou  sawest  on  the  beast," 
continues  the  angel:  "these  shall  hate  the  harlot,  and  shall 
make  her  desolate,  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  shall 
burn  her  with  fire." 

Here  Ave  see  the  general  disposition  of  the  above-mentioned 
northern  nations,  denoted  by  the  ten  horns.  They  will  hate 
the  harlot,  Rome,  the  great  capital  of  the  empire,  because  she 
has  shov/n  herself  a  universal  domineering  tyrant,  and  has  in 
particular  ill  requited  them  for  the  important  help  they  had 
lent  her  against  her  enemies.  Thus  stimulated  with  rancour 
and  resentment,  they  will  make  her  desolate,  that  is,  they  will 
invest  her  walls,  they  will  preclude  all  succours  both  of  men 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  107 

and  provisions  from  her,  and  reduce  her  to  the  utmost  state  of 
distress.  They  will  make  her  naked,  by  stripping  her  of  her 
shining  ornaments,  her  gaudy  palaces,  Egyptian  obelisks, 
magnificent  temples,  theatres,  triumphal  arches,  &c.  and  all 
her  ostentatious  pageantry.  They  will  eat  her  flesh,  by  plun- 
dering her  of  her  wealth  and  riches,  with  which  she  had  fed 
herself  by  plundering  the  rest  of  the  world.  And  lastly,  they 
will  burn  her  with  fire.  All  which  was  done,  as  we  have 
seen  in  the  history  above  given.* — Thus  was  foretold  by  the 
angel,  before  it  happened,  the  fate  of  that  heathen  imperial 
city,  under  the  emblem  of  a  woman,  prostituted  to  vice  and  ad- 
mitting no  control,  because  she  is  the  empress  of  the  world. 
But  her  jealous  enemies  will  not  rest,  till  they  have  found 
means  to  humble  her  pride,  and  to  effect  her  ruin.  They  will 
first  deprive  her  of  every  human  succour  and  comfort,  they 
will  then  strip  her  naked,  devour  her  flesh,  and  when  thus 
reduced  to  a  skeleton,  they  Avill  consume  her  by  fire. 

That  the  greatest  power  on  earth  should  be  thus  reduced  and 
crushed  by  foreign  barbarians,  whom  it  had  before  held  in  con- 
tempt and  neglect,  may  seem  strange  to  our  understanding, 
and  not  according  to  the  standard  by  which  we  generally  mea- 
sure human  events.  But  this  extraordinary  fact  is  not  to  be 
ranked  in  the  class  of  common  human  transactions:  it  was 
conducted  by  another  hand. 

V.  17.  "For  God  hath  given  into  their  hearts,  to  do  that 
which  pleaseth  him:  that  they  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast, 
till  the  words  of  God  be  fulfilled." 

Under  the  divine  direction,  therefore,  those  barbarians  acted 
in  the  demolition  of  Rome  and  its  empire;  and  thus  they  exe- 
cuted what  pleased  him,  or  what  he  had  designed.  According 
to  the  decrees  of  his  infinite  wisdom  and  justice,  the  Almighty 
sent  Nebuchodonosor  to  punish  the  guilty  Jews,  and  Cyrus  to 
do  the  same  to  the  Babylonians.  In  like  manner  the  northern 
nations  became  the  instrument  of  his  vengeance  upon  the  Ro- 
man state  for  the  guilt  of  its  idolatry  and  persecutions.  These 
agents  had  indeed  no  other  view  in  what  they  did,  than  to 
gratify  their  hatred,  their  avarice,  and  other  passions;  and 
this  the  Almighty  permitted  them  to  compass,  but  for  other 
purposes  which  they  did  not  see  into.  But  besides;  in  that 
latter  period  when,  agreeable  to  the  perdiction  in  ver.  12,  they 
had  received  kingdom,  that  is,  when  they  had  possessed  them- 
selves of  the  Roman  provinces,  and  erected  them  into  so  many 

*  Whoever  has  been  upon  the  place,    has  seen  sufficient  proof  of  the 
same,  in  the  miserable  shauered  ruins  of  old  Rome. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

kingdoms,  they  were  still  allowed  to  give  their  kingdom  or 
join  their  power  and  armies  with  those  of  the  beast  which  was 
and  is  not,  that  is,  with  the  pagan  Romans  then  governed  by 
Christian  emperors :  the  view  of  which  union  was  the  defence 
of  the  country  against  new  invaders.  This  was  permitted  for  a 
while,  till  the  words  of  God  were  fulfilled,  till  the  time  pre- 
ordained by  Grod  was  come,  for  the  final  destruction  of  pagan 
Rome,  and  the  rise  of  new  Christian  Rome  in  its  place,  and 
for  the  happy  conversion  of  these  barbarians  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  pagan  Romans  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 

We  have  now  seen,  in  the  course  of  this  17th  chapter  of 
the  Apocalypse,  the  different  changes  that  successively  hap- 
pened in  the  western  Roman  empire,  to  its  total  dissolution. 
We  saw  ancient  Rome  in  its  glorious  state  commanding  all 
nations,  upholding  idolatry  with  its  whole  power,  and  oppo- 
sing and  persecuting  the  Christian  religion.  This  power  is 
then  lost,  by  passing  into  the  hands  of  Christian  emperors: 
and  this  was  the  first  step  towards  the  fall  of  the  empire  of 
idolatry.  The  body  of  the  people  still  retaining  their  former 
attachment  to  paganism  and  aversion  to  Christianity,  the  next 
step  was:  the  Almighty  brought  down  upon  them  swarms 
of  northern  barbarous  people,  whom  the  empire  was  forced  to 
admit  into  its  bowels,  and  to  avert  its  own  ruin  for  a  while, 
by  buying  them  off  and  hiring  their  service  against  other 
such  like  enemies.  But  these  northern  savages  retaining  all 
along  their  first  hostile  disposition  against  the  Romans,  found 
pretences  to  turn  their  arms  against  them,  defeated  their  troops, 
shared  out  the  western  provinces  among  themselves,  and  thus 
overturned  the  body  of  the  empire.  When  in  possession  of 
the  Roman  territories,  they  then,  for  their  own  interest,  and 
upon  their  own  bottom,  employed  their  forces  in  conjunction 
with  those  of  the  Roman  people  in  defence  of  the  countrj?-. 
But  they  could  not  rest  satisfied,  till  they  had  attacked  and 
demolished  the  head,  that  overbearing  mistress  of  the  world, 
the  city  of  Rome  itself — This  demolition  was  announced 
above,  ver.  16,  as  to  be;  and  in  what  follows  we  see  it  exactly 
executed. 

Apoc.  chap,  xviii.  1.  "And  after  these  things  I  saw,"  says 
St.  John,  "  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having 
great  power:  and  the  earth  was  enlightened  with  his  glory. 

V.  2.  "  And  he  cried  out  with  a  strong  voice,  saying:  Baby- 
lon the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen  :  and  is  become  the  habitation 
of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit,  and  the  hold  of 
every  unclean  and  hateful  bird : 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIJtN  CHURCH.  109 

V.  3.  "  Because  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication:  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have 
committed  fornication  with  her:  and  the  merchants  of  the 
earth  have  been  made  rich  by  the  power  of  her  delicacies." 

Here  appears  an  angel  descending  from  heaven  vested  with 
great  power,  because  lie  comes  to  destroy  the  great  imperial 
city  of  Rome.     He  is  also  surrounded  with  a  glorious  circle 
of  light,  which  illuminates  the  earth;  an  image  of  the  ma- 
jesty of  God,  who  exercises  his  sovereign  dominion  in  so  stri- 
king a  manner  on  this  occasion.     The  heavenly  messenger 
cries  out  with  a  strong  voice,  that  all  the  earth  may  hear :  and 
indeed  all  the  earth  heard  of  the  fall  of  Rome,  and  confessed 
the  hand  that  did  it.     He  thus  cries  out:  "Babylon  the  great 
is  fallen,  is  fallen;  idolatrous  Rome  is  fallen.     The  angel 
struck  her,  and  she  is  fallen.     That  mighty  seat  of  power  and 
dominion  is  fallen.     That  metropolis  of  nations,  that  capital 
of  the  world,  is  fallen.     That  great  school  of  heroes,  and  pa- 
rent of  conquests,  is  fallen  and  crushed.     The  long  fixed  abode 
of  voluptuousness  and  luxury,  for  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
have  been  made  rich  by  the  power  of  her  delicacies,  is  laid 
waste  by  famine  and  devastation.     She  had  provoked  the  Al- 
mighty by  her  unbounded  attachment  to  idolatry,  and  by  her 
efforts  to  support  and  propagate  it;  for  all  nations*  had  drunk  of 
the  wine  of  the  wrath,  or  vehemence  of  her  fornication  :  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  had  committed  fornication  with  her;  and  now 
the  hand  of  God   has  struck  her.     She  had  grlutted  herself 
with  the  blood  of  the  servants  of  God:  and  he  in  his  wrath 
has  sent  against  her  the  executors  of  his  justice,  who  have 
made  her  desolate,  have  stripped  her  naked,  eat  her  flesh,  and 
burned  her  with  fire."  Apoc.  xviL  16.  See.  p.  106.     We  have 
seen  how  all  this  was  gradually  executed  upon  her.     Alaric 
took  the  city,  plundered  it  for  three  days,  and  burned  it  in 
410.     Genseric  plundered  it  for  fourteen  days  together  in  455, 
and  then  set  fire  to  it.     Odoacer  took  it  in  476,  deposed  the 
emperor,  and  extinguished  the  imperial  title.     Lastly,  Totila 
in  546  burned  it  and  reduced  it  into  a  solitude:     "Totila," 
says  the  historian  Proeopius,  "left  not  one  human  creature  in 
the  city."   Lib.  3.  de  bell.  Goth.     And  in  this  condition  it  re- 
mained for  upwards  of  forty  days.     And  thus  it  became  like 
an  accursed  place,  given   up  for  a  habitation  of  devils,   and 
a  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit,  or  of  frightful  spectres  and 
ghosts,  and  a  hold  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird,  as  of 
owls,  ravens,  vultures,  &c. 

♦  In  the  Greek  "  all  the  nations,"  subject  to  the  Roman  empire. 
10 


no  HISTORY  0£  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  4.  "And  I  heard,"  pursues  St.  John,  "another  voice 
from  heaven,  saying:  Go  out  from  her,  my  people:  that  you 
be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  you  receive  not  of  her 
plagues."  The  people  of  God,  that  is,  the  Christians,  are 
here  told  to  leave  the  falling  city,  lest  they  should  be  parta- 
kers of  her  sins,  and  receive  of  her  plagues,  that  is,  lest  they 
should  be  involved  in  the  punishment  and  ruin  she  has  drawn 
upon  herself  by  her  iniquities.  At  the  time  of  Alaric's  sack- 
ing Rome,  many  fled  away,  as  we  saw  in  the  history,  to  St. 
Jerom,  who  was  then  in  Judaea.  Others  fled  into  other  parts, 
as  the  same  holy  father  testifies.  He  also  informs  us,  Ep.  7, 
that  St.  Paula  and  several  illustrious  Christian  families  had 
before  left  Rome,  as  by  a  particular  inspiration,  and  retired  to 
Bethlehem  in  Judsea.  "  The  holy  Pope  Innocent,"  says  Oro- 
sius,  "  was  withdrawn  by  a  particular  providence  out  of  the 
city,  as  Lot  out  of  Sodom,  that  he  might  not  see  the  min  of  a 
guilty  people."  Lib.  7.  c.  39.  We  read  that  St.  Melanin,  as 
if  she  foresaw  the  approaching  catastrophe,  had  prevailed 
upon  many  Christians  to  retire  w^ith  her  from  a  city  doomed 
to  destruction.  Hist.  Laus.  c.  118.  In  fine,  when  the  storm 
burst,  the  Christians  that  remained  there,  took  refug-e  in  the 
Churches  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  which  Alaric  had  allowed 
to  be  places  of  safety.  Thus,  then,  as  the  Christians  had  for- 
merly avoided  being  involved  in  the  ruin  of  Jerusalem  by  re- 
tiring out  of  it,  conformably  to  our  Saviour's  admonition  ;  so 
here,  many  withdrew  in  the  same  manner  from  the  scene  of 
divine  vengeance  which  so  deservedly  fell  upon  Rome. 

V.  5.  "  For  her  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  the 
Lord  has  remembered  her  iniquities." 

Her  iniquities  have  called  to  heaven  for  vengeance,  and 
God  will  bear  with  them  no  longer. 

V.  6.  "  Render  to  her  as  she  hath  also  rendered  to  you : 
and  double  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works:  in  the 
cup  wherein  she  hath  mingled,  mingle  ye  double  unto  her. 

V.  7.  "  As  much  as  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and  lived  in 
delicacies,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  ye  to  her." 

It  is  not  to  be  understood,  that  the  Almighty  here  tells  the 
Christians  to  take  revenge  on  their  enemies,  the  pagan  Ro- 
mans; but  by  this  kind  of  prophetic  language  he  apprizes 
them,  that  Rome  shall  be  drenched  with  a  full  cup  of  misery, 
double  of  that  she  had  tyrannically  forced  upon  them.  And 
in  proportion  as  she  had  proudly  exalted  herself,  and  lived  in 
delicacies,  or  luxury  and  pleasure,  so  shall  be  the  measure  of 
her  torment  and  sorrows. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  IH 

V.  7.  "  Because  she  saith  in  her  heart ;  I  sit  a  queen,  and 
am  no  widow,  and  sorrow  I  shall  not  see. 

V.  8.  "Therefore  shall  her- plagues  come  in  one  day; 
death,  and  mourning,  and  famine,  and  she  shall  be  burnt  with 
fire  :  because  God  is  strong  who  shall  judge  her." 

Here  we  have  a  picture  of  the  intolerable  arrogance  and 
pride  of  the  woman,  imperial  Rome.  She  says  in  her  heart: 
I  sit  upon  my  throne  as  a  queen:  I  am  empress  of  the  world. 
I  am  no  widow  ;  my  power  is  fixed  and  established  for  ever. 
And  sorrow  I  shall  never  see ;  as  no  one  can  wrest  my 
power  from  me,  I  am  beyond  the  reach  of  sorrow  and  afflic- 
tion. That  such  were  the  sentiments  of  haughty  Rome,  we 
learn  from  the  Roman  authors  themselves.  Thus  the  poet 
Virgil  introduces  Jupiter  promising  unlimited  and  eternal 
dominion  to  the  Romans  : 

His  e^o  nee  metas  renim,  nee  tempora  pono, 
Impermm,  sine  fine  dedi.  jEneid.  I. 

To  them,  no  bounds  of  empire  I  assign, 
Nor  term  of  years  to  their  immortal  line. 

Dryden's  Transl. 

Horace  speaks  in  the  same  strain.  Carm.  Sac.  Florus 
also  writes,  that  "the  gods  had  promised,  the  Roman  state 
should  remain  unshaken  and  eternal."  I.  Tarq.  Superb. 
Ammianus  Marcellinus,  in  his  history,  calls  Rome  "  eternal, 
to  last  as  long  as  the  race  of  mankind." 

For  such  extravagant  presumption,  which  flies  in  the  face 
of  the  supreme  Creator  and  the  Lord  of  the  universe,  he  pro- 
nounces the  following  plagues  or  calamities  shall  come  upon 
her  together  in  one  day :  Famine,  which  was  announced  in 
the  third  seal;  mourning,  as  described  in  the  third  trumpet; 
and  death,  or  the  sword,  as  denounced  by  the  third  ^^ial  ;  and 
her  faith  shall  be  completed  by  fire,  which  shall  lay  her  in 
ashes.  All  these  calamities  fell  at  once  upon  heathen  Rome, 
as  we  have  seen.  They  came  from  an  all-powerful  and  irre- 
sistible hand,  which  threw  her  down  from  her  throne,  and 
reduced  her  to  extreme  pangs  of  sorrow  and  affliction,  and 
then  crushed  her,  for  her  intolerable  pride  and  impiety:  for 
Crod  is  strong  who  judges  her.  "  Though  thou  be  exalted  as 
an  eagle,  and  though  thou  set  thy  nest  among  the  stars  : 
thence  will  I  bring  thee  down,  saith  the  Lord."     Abd.  v.  4. 

V.  9.  "  And  the  kings  of  the  earth  who  have  committed 
fornication  and  lived  in  delicacies  with  her,  shall  weep,  and 
bewail  themselves  over  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke 
of  her  burning. 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  10.  "  Standing  afar  off  for  fear  of  her  torments,  saying*: 
Alas  !  Alas  !  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city :  for 
in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come." 

Here  the  kings  and  princes  of  the  earth,  who  have  shared 
with  her  in  her  idolatry,  cruelty,  and  luxury,  are  introduced 
as  standing  afar  off,  lamenting  and  bewailing  the  dreadful 
fate  of  that  once  great  and  powerful  city,  and  which  they  now 
see  in  flames.  St.  Austin  informs  us,  that  "  the  people  of  the 
eastern  provinces  and  the  remotest  cities  mourned  in  a  public 
manner  on  this  occasion."     De  civ.  lib.  1.  c.  33. 

V.  11.  "  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep,  and 
mourn  over  her:  for  "no  man  shall  buy  their  merchandise 
any  more. 

V.  12.  "  Merchandise  of  gold  and  silver  and  precious 
stones ;  and  of  pearls  and  of  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  of 
silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner  of  vessels 
of  ivory,  and  all  manner  of  vessels  of  precious  stones,  and  of 
brass,  and  of  iron,  and  of  marble, 

V,  13.  "  And  cinnamon,  and  odours,  and  ointment,  and 
frankincense,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat, 
and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves, 
and  souls  of  men. 

V.  14.  "  And  the  fruits  of  the  desire  of  thy  soul  are  de- 
parted from  thee,  and  all  fat  and  goodly  things  are  perished 
from  thee,  and  they  shall  find  them  no  more  at  all. 

V.  15.  "  The  merchants  of  these  things,  who  were  made 
rich,  shall  stand  afar  off  from  her  for  fear  of  her  torments, 
weeping  and  mourning. 

V.  16.  "And  saying:  Alas!  Alas!  that  great  city,  which 
was  clothed  with  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  was 
gilt  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls: 

V.  17.  "  For  in  one  hour  are  so  great  riches  come  to 
nought." 

The  merchants  and  tradesmen,  who  had  enriched  them- 
selves by  the  luxury  and  extravagance  of  the  Romans,  are 
likewise  here  deploring  the  fate  of  the  city,"  because  there  is 
now  no  more  sale  for  their  merchandise.  We  see  here  enu- 
merated the  articles  of  their  luxury,  in  dress,  in  ornaments,  in 
furniture,  in  equipage,  in  the  sumptuousness  of  their  tabks, 
&.C.  The  emperors  embellished  Rome  with  magnificent 
palaces,  theatres,  &c.,  which  were  enriched  with  the  most 
costly  furniture  and  ornaments.  The  whole  earth  was  ran- 
sacked to  supply  the  extravagancy  of  that  one  city.  Nero  in 
particular  built  an  immense  palace,  which  occupied  Mount 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN  ClItJRCH.  113 

Palatine,  part  of  Mount  Esquiline,  and  the  large- space  be- 
tween. This  palace  was  so  richly  furnished  and  so  splendidly- 
decorated,  that  it  was  styled  "  the  golden  palace  of  Nero." 
Excessively  extravagant  was  also  the  luxury  and  profusion  of 
some  of  the  Roman  emperors  at  their  tables.  Caius  Caligula 
once  spent,  according  to  Seneca,  for  a  supper,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  crowns.  Suetonius  tells  us,  the  Emperor  Vi- 
telius  would  feast  himself  three,  sometimes  four  times  a  day, 
spending  ten  thousand  crowns  at  each  meal.  He  had  at  his 
table  dishes  made  up  of  the  brains  of  pheasants  and  peacocks, 
others  of  the  tongues  and  livers  of  rare  birds,  others  of  the 
milts  of  some  particular  fish.  And  so  of  other  instances, 
but  now,  what  an  alteration  in  the  scene  !  all  these  delicious 
and  expensive  dainties  are  perished,  and  no  more  to  be  found. 
All  the  fine  linen,  purple  silk,  precious  stones,  pearls,  &c.,  the 
costly  dress  of  the  emperors,  empresses,  magistrates,  and  citi- 
zens, are  vanished.  All  the  pompous  train  of  equipage  of  horses, 
and  chariots,  and  slaves,  and  souls  of  men  or  free  men,  is  plun- 
dered and  carried  away.  All  the  stately  palaces,  and  shining 
ornaments  of  gold  and  silver,  of  marble,  and  brass,  and  ivory, 
&c.  are  now  the  fuel  of  fire.  In  fine,  all  the  riches  of  this  most 
opulent  city  of  the  world  are  in  one  hour  come  to  nought. 

V.  1 7.  "  And  every  ship-master,  and  all  that  sail  into  the 
lake,*  and  mariners,  and  as  many  as  work  in  the  sea,  stood 
afar  off, 

V.  18.  "  And  cried,  seeing  the  place  of  her  burning,!  say- 
ing ;  what  city  is  like  to  this  great  city  ? 

V,  19.  "  And  they  cast  dust  upon  their  heads,  and  cried 
weeping  and  mourning,  saying :  Alas  !  Alas  !  that  great  city, 
wherein  all  were  made  rich,  that  had  ships  at  sea,  by  reason 
of  her  prices  :  for  in  one  hour  she  is  made  desolate." 

The  masters  of  ships,  their  crews  the  seafaring  men,  all 
join  their  lamentations  in  seeing  from  afar  off  the  conflagra- 
tion of  that  great  city,  which  never  had  an  equal.  They 
mourn,  and  deplore  the  loss  of  the  great  profits  they  gained  by 
conveying  to  her  all  sorts  of  rich  goods,  which  she  bought  in 
abundance  and  at  high  prices.  All  this  lucrative  traffic  is 
now  vanished ;  for  in  one  hour  she  is  made  desolate. — In  fine, 
the  fall  of  this  idolatrous,  proud,  and  tyrannical  city,  is  thus 
concluded : 

V.  20.  "  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles 
and  prophets:  for  God  hath  judged  your  judgment  on  her." 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  and  all  the  company  upon  the  ships." 

t  Gr.  "  the  smoke  of  her  burning.  ; 

10*  ^■'^ 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Heavefl,  those  holy  apostles,  and  those  prophets  or  ministers 
of  the  gospel  and  holy  men,  whom  Rome  had  put  to  death, 
are  here  invited  to  rejoice;  because  the  divine  justice  is  ac- 
complished in  the  ruin  of  that  guihy  city. — Upon  which 
breaks  out  the  following  exultation  : 

Apoc.  chap,  xix.  1.  "After  these  things  I  heard,"  says  St. 
John,  "as  it  were  the  voice  of  much  people*  in  heaven,  saying : 
Alleluia  ;  salvation,  and  glory,  and  power,  is  to  our  God  : 

V.  2.  "  For  true  and  just  are  his  judgments  who  hath 
judged  the  great  harlot,  which  corrupted  the  earth  with  her 
fornication,  and  hath  revenged  the  blood  of  his  servants,  at 
her  hands. 

V.  3.  "  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia,  And  her  smoke 
ascended  for  ever  and  ever. 

V.  4.  "  And  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  and  the  four 
living  creatures,  fell  down  and  adored  God  that,  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  saying:  Amen  :  Alleluia. 

V.  5.  "  And  a  voice  came  out  from  the  throne,  saying . 
Give  praise  to  our  God,  all  ye  his  servants :  and  you  that 
fear  him,  little  and  great." 

From  all  that  has  been  said,  this  text  is  sufficiently  clear  to 
need  no  further  explanation 

May  we  not  now  reflect  with  astonishment  on  the  dreadful 
fate  of  this  city.  Rome,  the  greatest  of  all  cities,  the  most 
opulent  of  all  cities,  the  queen  of  the  world,  is  struck  down 
from  the  pinnacle  of  power,  is  laid  in  ruins,  and  left  without 
an  inhabitant.  "  How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary  that  was  full 
of  people  ?  How  is  the  mistress  of  nations  become  as  a  wi- 
dow?" Jer.  Lamen.  i.  1.  That  mighty  city,  which  seemed 
to  be  invigorated  with  more  than  human  strength,  and  had 
carried  her  conquests  almost  to  the  bounds  of  the  known 
world,  Avas  laid  in  ashes  by  Alaric  ;  and  though  afterwards 
allowed  somewhat  to  recover,  it  was  only  to  take  breath,  and 
then  to  be  utterly  laid  waste,  and  her  walls  and  fortresses  to  be 
thrown  down.  "  The  Lord  has  kindled  in  me,"  as  it  were,  "a 
flaming  fire  devouring  round  about. — The  Lord  is  become  ns 
an  enemy :  he  hath  cast  me  down  head-long,  he  hath  oA-er- 
throvi^nall  my  walls,  and  hath  destroyed  my  strong-holds." 
Lamen.  ii.  35.  Those  northern  nations,  which  she  had  before 
held  in  contempt  and  not  thought  worth  a  conquest,  now  as- 
sault her  like  ravenous  wolves,  and  raging  with  rancour  and 
fury,  they  strip  her  naked,  and  tear  out  her  bowels  without 
mercy ;  nor  is  she  able  to  prevent  her  fate.     "  All  thy  ene- 

♦  In  the  Greek,  "of  a  g?*jat  multitude." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  115 

mies  have  opened  their  mouth  against  thee  :  they  have  hissed, 
and  gnashed  with  the  teeth,  and  have  said :  we  will  swallow 
her  up  :  lo,  this  is  the  day  which  we  looked  for."  Ihid.  ii.  16. 
"  Her  adversaries  are  become  her  lords,  her  enemies  are  en- 
riched.— My  strength  is  weakened :  The  Lord  hath  delivered 
me  into  a  hand,  out  of  which  I  am  not  able  to  rise."  Ibid.  i. 
5,  14.  Who  could  have  imagined  that  stately  city,  the  me- 
tropolis of  the  world,  which  had  long  been  the  admiration  of 
all  nations,  and  to  which  they  resorted  lo  view  her  grandeur 
or  to  share  in  her  pleasures,  would  one  day  be  reduced  into 
desolation  and  made  a  solitude?  "  Is  this  the  city  of  perfect 
beauty,  the  joy  of  all  the  earth?"  Ibid.  ii.  15.  But  it  was 
clear,  she  was  the  victim  of  God's  anger,  and  her  fate  was  just. 
For  "  the  Lord  had  spoken  against  her  for  the  multitude  of 
her  iniquities."     Ibid.  i.  5. 

Thus,  then,  in  fine,  fell  ancient  Rome  like  Babylon,  but  with 
this  difference,  that  Babylon  w^as  never  to  rise  again ;  where- 
as Rome,  when  the  anger  of  God  was  satisfied,  was  designed 
to  emerge  from  her  ashes :  and  though  not  allowed  to  recover 
her  former  temporal  dominion,  splendour,  and  riches,  nor  to 
rise  in  her  outward  appearance,  scarce  above  the  condition  of 
a  village,  when  compared  to  her  former  extent  and  multitude 
of  people ;  yet  in  her  depressed  state  she  is  privileged  wath  a 
higher  dignity  of  another  kind,  of  being  not  only  a  Chris- 
tian City,  but  appointed  the  head  and  centre  of  spiritual  do- 
minion. 

We  have  now  seen  the  full  accomplishment  of  the  predic- 
tions, contained  in  the  Apocalypse,  respecting  the  destruction 
of  ancient  Rome  and  its  empire.  But  we  must  not  leave  the 
subject  without  observing,  that  the  same  had  been  before  in  a 
general  manner  foretold  by  the  prophet  T3aniel,  and  by  what 
hand  it  was  done.  Thus  spoke  that  prophet  to  Nabuchodo- 
nosor:  "Thus  thou  sawest,  till  a  stone  was  cut  out  of  a 
mountain  without  hands,  and  it  struck  the  statue  upon  the  feet 
that  were  of  iron  and  clay,  and  broke  them  in  pieces. — And  the 
stone  that  struck  the  statue  became  a  great  mountain,  and  filled 
the  whole  earth."  Dan.  ii.  34,  35.  Christ  is  the  stone  cut 
out  of  the  mountain  without  hands  ;  and  the  Roman  empire, 
the  fourth  and  greatest  of  the  empires,  represented  by  the  four 
parts  of  the  statue,  is  here  figured  by  the  feet  of  that  statue. 
Hence,  the  circumstance  of  the  statue's  feet  being  broken  to 
pieces  by  the  stone,  shovv^s  that  Christ  was  the  hero,  who 
should  one  day  overthrow  the  mighty  empire  of  Rome.  He, 
by  his  superior  might,  threw  down  that  great  colossus,  be- 


115  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

cause,  it  had  arrogantly  bent  its  power  against  him,  and  had 
endeavoured,  by  supporting  idolatry,  to  obstruct  that  dominion 
which  he  himself  claimed  over  the  whole  earth.  Christ  could 
suffer  no  competitor :  "  I  beheld,"  says  Daniel,  "  ia  the  vision 
of  the  night,  and  lo,  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the 
clouds  of  heaven,  and  he  came  even  to  the  ancient  of  days : 
and  they  presented  him  before  him.  And  he  gave  him  power, 
and  glory,  and  a  kingdom  ;  and  all  people,  tribes,  and  tongues 
shall  serve  him."  Dan.  vii.  13,  14.  This  Son  of  man  there- 
fore, ill  vindication  of  his  right  to  universal  monarchy,  crush- 
ed his  proud  enemy,  Rome,  and  with  it  the  empire  of  idolatry. 
He  threw  dov»Ti  the  seat  which  Satan  had  so  long  held  there, 
and  he  fixed  in  its  place  his  own-throne,  to  which  all  people, 
tribes,  and  tongues,  were  to  bend.  To  show  his  supreme 
power,  this  divine  monarch  chose  to  convert  the  centre  of  idola- 
try into  the  centre  of  divine  worship  and  religion,  and  there 
he  placed  his  viceroy  to  govern  his  holy  kingdom,  and  to  su- 
perintend his  people  to  the  end  of  the  world.  "  The  saints 
of  the  most  high  God,"  continues  Daniel,  "shall  take  the 
kingdom :  and  they  shall  possess  the  kingdom  for  ever  and 
ever."  Ibid.  v.  18 


CHAPTER  VH. 

THE     HISTORY    OF    THE     FOURTH     AGE    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH, THE   OPENING    OF    THE    FOURTH    SEAL. 

A'poc.  chap.  vi.  7.  *'  And  when  he,  (the  Lamb,)  had  opened 
the  fourth  seal,  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "the  voice  of  the 
fourth  living  creature,  saying :  Come  and  see, 

V.  8.  "  And  behold  a  pale  horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him, 
his  name  was  Death,  and  hell  followed  him.  And  power  was 
given  to  him  over  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,*  to  kill  with 
sword,  with  famine,  and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of 
the  earth." 

This  seal  discloses  to  us  the  rise  of  the  Mahometan  empire, 
which  opens  the  fourth  age  of  the  Church,  about  the  year 
622. 

♦  In  the  Greek  text,  "power  was  given  them  over  the  fourth  port  of  the 
earth." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  117 

Here  appears  to  St.  John  a  pale  horse,  and  he  that  sits  upon 
him  is  called  Death.  The  pale  colour  of  the  horse  evidently 
agrees  with  the  character  of  the  rider,  who  is  styled  Death. 
This  rider  is  Mahomet  and  his  successors.  He  is  named 
death,  because  he  destroys  mankind,  as  it  is  here  said,  with 
sword,  with  famine,  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the 
earth.  It  is  well  known  from  history,  what  destruction  and 
desolation  Mahomet,  and  his  followers,  the  Saracens,  and  after- 
wards the  Turks,  have  made  in  the  world.  Their  two  first 
instruments  of  destruction  here  named,  are  the  sword,  and 
famine  or  devastation.  The  sword  was  appropriated  to  the 
second  age  in  the  second  seal ;  and  famine  was  appropriated 
to  the  third  age  in  the  third  seal.  Their  third  destructive  in- 
strument is  styled  Death,  a  general  term,  which  in  this  place 
we  apprehend  means  "  Gunpowder  ;"  and  is  in  like  manner 
appropriated  to  the  fourth  age,  as  it  was  invented  in  that  period, 
and  then  employed  by  the  Mahometans  in  a  terrible  man- 
ner. In  fine,  the  last  instrument  of  destruction  here  mentioned 
is.  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  that  is,  horse-troops  or  cavalry, 
which  though  generally  numerous  in  the  eastern  countries, 
will  be  much  more  used  by  the  Turks  hereafter,  as  we  shall 
see  particularly  in  the  account  of  the  sixth  age. 

It  is  said  that  hell  follows  him,  that  is,  the  infernal  spirits 
accompany  Mahomet  and  assist  him,  and  his  followers, 
through  many  succeeding  ages.  For,  power  was  given  to 
him  over  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  or,  as  the  Greek  text  ex- 
presses it,  power  was  given  to  them,  viz.  :  to  death  and  hell, 
or  to  the  Mahometan  princes,  and  the  evil  spirits,  over  a  fourth 
part  of  the  earth.  Who  is  ignorant  of  the  number  of  na- 
tions the  Mahometans  have  conquered  in  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa  ?  Who  does  not  know,  that  in  those  countries  they 
have  almost  extinguished  Christianity,  and  planted  by  force 
in  its  room  a  sensual  and  abominable  religion  ?  How  many 
f  lir  churches  in  Asia,  founded  by  the  apo.stles  themselves,  have 
been  ruined  by  the  Mahometans,  and  now  scarce  a  handful  of 
Christians  to  be  found  scattered  through  the  vast  countries  of 
Minor  Asia,  Syria,  Persia,  &c.?  What  remains  are  there 
now  of  Christianity  in  Africa,  where  formerly  it  flourished 
so  much,  and  where  were  seen  to  shine  such  great  lights  of 
the  Church,  as  a  St.  Athanasius,  a  St.  Cyprian,  a  St.  Augus- 
tine, &c.  ?  Those  regions,  having  been  subdued  and  over- 
run by  the  Mahometans,  have  received  their  superstitions  and 
impostures.  The  same  has  also  been  the  fate  of  that  part  of 
Europe,  which  has  fallen  under  the  dominion  of  the  Turks. 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

How  could  such  wide  encroachments  be  made  upon  religion, 
but  by  the  help  and  co-operation  of  the  devil? 

We  must,  however,  here  observe,  that  this  prophecy,  though 
already  fulfilled  in  some  measure  in  Mahomet  and  the  Ma- 
hometan nation,  will  still  be  more  fully  accomplished,  as  we 
shall  show  hereafter,  in  Antichrist,  who  will  be  one,  the 
greatest,  and  the  most  cruel,  of  Mahomet's  successors.  And 
hence  appears  the  reason,  why  St.  John  is  invi|pd  to  the  view 
of  the  present  spectacle  by  the  fourth  living  creature,  which, 
as  we  have  observed,  represents  the  prophet  Daniel;  the 
reason  is,  because  that  prophet  had  foretold  the  coming  of 
Antichrist  and  his  great  power,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel. 

Here  then  we  discover  the  rise  and  progress  of  a  power, 
which  in  the  course  of  time  will  become  the  mighty  empire 
of  Antichrist;  the  destruction  of  which  is  reserved  to  be  the 
work  of  Christ  himself,  and  thus  the  Lamb  will  show  that 
strength,  which  he  was  said  to  receive,   Apoc.  v.  12.  Seep.  29. 

Let  us  here  further  remark,  that  in  each  of  the  four  pre- 
ceding seals  there  appeared  a  horse,  for  his  strength  the  natu- 
ral emblem  of  power  or  empire:  that  in  the  first  seal  the 
horse  exhibited  the  empire  of  Christ;  in  the  second,  that  of 
heresy;  in  the  third,  the  empire  of  Rome  falling  away;  and 
in  this  fourth,  the  rise  of  the  Mahometan  empire,  which,  as 
no  horse  appears  in  any  of  the  subsequent  seals,  we  may 
conclude  to  be  the  last  great  temporal  power  that  will  exist 
upon  the  earth,  an  enemy  to  the  Christian  Church. 

The  'preceding  Explication  illustrated,  by  a  brief  Account 
of  Mahomet  and  the  Mahometan  Empire. 

Mahomet  was  born  at  Mecca  in  Arabia,  in  the  year  571, 
of  poor  parents,  who  were  of  the  race  of  Ismae).  His  father 
was  a  heathen,  and  his  mother  a  Jew.  Being  very  young 
when  his  parents  died,  he  was  educated  by  an  uncle,  who 
put  him  to  trade.  He  afterwards  married  a  ricn  widow, 
whose  business  he  managed.  Being  arrived  at  about  forty 
years  of  age,  he  commenced  prophet,  and  set  to  compose  a 
new  religion.  He  said,  that  the  true  religion  had  been  cor- 
rupted by  the  Jews  and  the  Christians,  and  that  therefore  God 
had  sent  him,  as  his  prophet,  to  restore  it  to  its  purity. 

He  taught  them  that  there  was  one  only  God,  but  no  dis- 
tinction of  persons  in  the  deity.  He  exploded  the  incarnation 
and  all  the  other  mysteries  of  the  Christian  religion.  Ke 
adopted  circumcision,  and  prescribed  abstinence  from  wine, 
blood,  and  pork.     On  another  hand  he  allowed  every  man  to 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  119 

have  four  wives,  and  concubines  without  restriction  ;  but  he 
reserved  to  himself  the  liberty  of  marrying  as  often  as  he 
pleased,  and  he  is  said  to  have  had  at  least  fifteen  wives,  and 
ten  of  them  together.  He  exhorted  people  to  take  up  arms 
for  religion,  promising  a  paradise  of  all  the  sensual  pleasures 
to  those  who  should  die  fighting  in  that  cause.  To  make  war 
against  unbelievers  he  declared  to  be  of  high  merit  before 
God.  He  taught  predestination,  affirming  that  every  man's 
fate  was  absolutel}''  decreed  ;  and  that  the  term  of  every  man's 
life  was  fixed  by  God,  not  to  be  shortened  by  any  accidents, 
or  prolonged  by  any  means  whatever. 

These  and  other  impious  tenets,  which  he  pretended  to 
have  received  from  the  angel  Gabriel,  he  procured  a  per- 
son to  pen  down,  as  he  could  neither  read  nor  write  ;  and  the 
book  he  called  '*  Alcoran."  When  seized  with  epileptic  fits, 
to  which  he  was  subject,  he  was  then  visited,  as  he  divulged, 
by  the  angel  Gabriel ;  whose  appearance  being  more  than  he 
could  bear,  occasioned  him  to  fall  into  those  trances  and  con- 
vulsions. Such  was  his  imposture.  His  doctrine  met  with 
much  opposition  from  some  of  his  countrymen  of  Mecca. 
They  called  him  a  madman,  an  impostor,  and  ^aid  he  was 
possessed  by  the  devil.  But  his  partisans  increasing  daily, 
the  magistrates  of  the  town  began  to  be  alarmed,  and  suspect- 
ing he  had  a  design  upon  the  government,  they  resolved  to 
take  away  his  life.  Mahomet,  having  intimation  of  their  de- 
sign, fled  to  Medina.  This  retreat,  which  happened  in  the 
year  622,  gives  date  to  the  Mahometan  sBra,  called  Hegira,  or 
"  the  flight."  At  Medina  he  was  joined  by  new  proselytes, 
chiefly  thieves  and  fugitive  slaves,  who  the  more  freely  flock- 
ed to  him  on  account  of  the  latitude  he  allowed  them  in  indulg- 
ing their  sensual  desires.  Having  formed  a  small  body, 
he  set  himself  at  the  head  of  them,  as  their  chief  and  legisla- 
tor. He  told  them  he  was  not  sent  to  do  miracles,  but  to  pro- 
•pagate  religion  by  the  power  of  the  sword.  He  first  attacked 
the  caravans,  that  travelled  through  the  country  for  trade; 
and  meeting'  with  success,  he  enriched  his  folloAvers,  and  en- 
larged his  projects.  His  little  army  being  soon  increased,  he 
proceeded  against  the  town  of  Mecca,  took  it,  and  put  his 
principal  opponents  to  death.  He  then  subdued  one  tribe  of 
people  after  another,  carrying  the  sword  of  destruction  through 
the  country,  and  forcing  the  people  to  submit  to  him,  and  to 
receive  his  religion,  or  pay  him  an  annual  tribute.  His  pro- 
gress was  such,  that  he  was  master  of  almost  aU  Arabia, 
when  he  died  in  631.     His  followers  were  called  "  Saracens," 


120  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

or  "  Mussulmans."  From  his  actions  and  his  maxims,  one 
may  conclude,  that  ambition,  lust,  and  cruelty,  were  the  cha- 
racteristics of  this  famous  impostor. 

Abubeker,  one  of  Mahomet's  first  adherents,  succeeded  him 
in  command,  and  taking  the  name  of  caliph  or  lieutenant,  car- 
ried on  his  late  master's  conquest  over  other  Arabian  nations. 
Amron,  one  of  his  generals,  having  advanced  into  the  territory 
of  Gaza,  and  laid  siege  to  that  town,  the  governor  asked  him 
the  reason  of  such  an  act  of  hostility.  Amron  answered,  "  We 
come  by  the  order  of  our  prince  to  propose  to  you  the  accept- 
ance of  our  religion.  If  you  choose  to  embrace  it,  we  shall 
be  brethren  :  if  not,  pay  us  tribute,  and  you  shall  be  our  allies. 
But  if  you  agree  to  neither,  the  sword  must  decide,  and  we 
shall  wage  war  against  you,  to  execute  the  order  of  God." 

Abubeker  dying  in  634,  was  succeeded  by  Omar.  This 
caliph  completed  the  conquest  of  the  rest  of  Arabia.  Then 
he  invaded  Syria,  where  he  defeated  the  imperial  army  com- 
manded by  Theodorus,  brother  to  Heraclius,  emperor  of  Con- 
stantinople. Heraclius  fearing  the  success  of  the  Arabian's 
arms,  quitted  Syria,  and  went  to  Jerusalem,  from  whence  he 
removed  the  holy  Cross,  with  other  valuable  things  to  Con- 
stantinople. *  His  brother  hazarded  a  second  battle,  which  he 
lost,  and  the  Saracens  became  masters  of  Damascus,  and  after- 
wards of  the  country  of  Phoenicia.  The  caliph  then  divided 
his  army ;  one  part  of  which  he  sent  against  Egypt,  which 
they  subdued  and  dismembered  from  the  eastern  Roman  em- 
pire, of  which  it  had  been  a  considerable  province,  ever  since 
Augustus's  days.  In  the  mean  time,  Omar  himself  took  the 
route  of  Jerusalem,  which  he  resolved  to  besiege  ;  and  unfor- 
tunately the  Emperor  Heraclius  had  not  in  those  parts  suffi- 
cient forces  to  oppose  him.  About  this  time  St.  Sopronius, 
bishop  and  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  in  a  letter  to  Sergius,  pa- 
triarch of  Constantinople,  wrote:  "Pray  for  the  emperors, 
(Heraclius  and  his  son,)  that  God  may  make  them  victorious 
over  all  the  barbarians  :  but  especially  that  he  maybe  pleased 
to  humble  the  pride  of  the  Saracens,  who  on  account  of  our 
sins  have  suddenly  broke  in  upon  us,  and  ravage  all  the  coun- 
try with  terrible  cruelty  and  impious  arrogance." 

Jerusalem,  after  maintaining  a  siege  of  two  years,  surren- 
dered to  Omar  in  636,  upon  condition,  that  the  inhabitants 
should  remain  in  the  peaceable  possession  of  their  fortunes 
and  liberty,  and  the  free  exercise  of  the  Christian  religion. 
However,  some  time  after,  this  caliph  ordered  a  mosque  to  be 
built  on  the  very  spot  where  had  stood  the  temple  of  Sol^- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  121 

men.  From  Jerusalem  Omar  marched  to  Antioch,  capital  of 
Syria,  which  for  want  of  forces  and  provisions  was  forced  to 
surrender.  This  conquest  made  him  soon  master  of  all  Syria. 
And  thus  the  Roman  empire  was  divested  of  another  province, 
which  it  had  been  in  possession  of  for  700  years.  In  639  the 
Saracens  crossed  the  Euphrates,  and  over-ran  Mesopotamia, 
From  thence  they  advanced  into  Persia,  defeated  Isdegerdes 
the  king,  drove  him  out  of  his  dominions,  and  seized  upon  the 
Persian  empire.  This  caliph's  progress  was  such,  that  he 
also  subdued  the  greatest  part  of  Armenia,  with  some  other 
neighbouring  countries.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  this  success 
he  was  assassinated  in  643. 

Othman,  of  the  race  of  Mahomet,  was  chosen  Omar's  suc- 
cessor. He  carried  on  the  conquests ;  took  Cyprus,  Rhodes, 
and  other  islands  in  the  Mediterranean  sea.  His  generals  in 
Africa  defeated  Gregory,  the  imperial  commander  in  those 
parts,  and  extended  their  conquest  all  along  the  coasts  on  the 
Mediterranean  sea  to  the  straits  of  Gibraltar.  Othman  was 
murdered  by  his  own  rebellious  subjects  after  twelve  years 
reign,  in  655.  At  this  chief's  death,  the  Saracen  empire  com- 
prehended all  Arabia,  Persia,  Corasan,  Diarbeck  or  Mesopo- 
tamia, Irac  or  Chaldsea,  Syria,  Phoenicia,  Palestine,  Egypt, 
with  extensive  countries  in  Africa. 

Such  was  the  amazing  growth  of  the  Mahometan  power 
within  the  space  of  63  years.  This  rapid  progress  of  a  peo- 
ple sprung  from  so  mean  and  obscure  an  origin  astonished 
mankind,  as  few  examples  of  the  like  could  be  discovered  iii 
the  annals  of  the  world;  nor  even  could  be  compared  with  it, 
the  singular  success  of  the  first  daring  invincible  Romans. 
In  this  manner  was  exerted  the  power  of  the  suord  in  the  de- 
struction of  mankind,  and  in  propagating  an  impious  doctrine 
and  rooting  out  Christianity. 

After  such  a  course  of  extraordinary  success,  the  Arabs  or 
Saracens,  instead  of  sitting  down  to  enjoy  their  acquisitions, 
were  animated  to  attempt  new  conquests.  In  662  they  invaded 
several  other  territories  of  the  Constantinopolitan  or  eastern 
Roman  empire,  wdiich  if  they  did  not  reduce  under  their 
power,  they  at  least  brought  from  them  a  great  number  of  cap- 
tives, and  laid  waste  the  country.  In  712  and  713,  they  passed 
from  Africa  into  Spain,  of  which  they  conquered  a  consider- 
able part,  giving  a  sad  specimen  of  their  cruelty  ;  for  they  burn- 
ed the  young  people  and  the  children,  and  spread  terror  over 
all  the  country.  Here  they  made  settlements,  and  were  called 
"  Moors,"  because  they  came  from  Mauritania  in  Africa.  We. 
11 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

shall  pass  over  their  incursions  into  France  and  Italy,  and  the 
barbarities  they  there  committed. 

By  so  many  conquests  this  new  empire  grew  at  last  to  such 
a  bulk,  that  it  became  too  unwieldiy  in  the  hands  of  one  ruler. 
This  did  not  escape  the  observation  of  the  governors,  who 
had  been  appointed  by  the  cdiph  over  the  different  provinces 
with  large  corps  of  troops  under  their  command.  Sensible  at 
the  same  time  of  their  own  streno-th,  and  ambitious  to  be  them- 
selves  masters,  they  renounced  their  subjection  to  the  Arabian 
caliph,  and  set  up  their  own  authority.  These  rebellions  gave 
rise  to  civil  wars,  which  divided  the  empire  into  a  number  of 
independent  principalities.  But  notwithstanding  the  Maho- 
metan power  was  thus  weakened,  the  several  princes  still  re- 
tained the  same  ambition  to  enlarge  their  dominions.  In  that 
view,  about  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  some  of 
them  carried  their  arms  into  the  vast  country  of  Indostan,  and 
reduced  a  great  part  of  it. 

Afterwards  others  of  these  princes  or  sultans,  as  they  were 
then  called,  made  farther  irruptions  into  the  Asiatic  provinces 
of  the  Greek  or  Constantinopolitan  empire,  where  they  ob- 
tained new  acquisitions.  They  were  aided  in  these  conquests 
by  different  tribes  of  Tartars,  or  Turks,  that  came  to  them  from 
the  northern  countries  above  the  Caspian  sea,  and  quitting  idol- 
atry embraced  Mahometanism.  Aladin,  sultan  of  Iconium  in 
lesser  Asia,  had  in  particular  received  suth  considerable  ser- 
vices from  a  tribe  of  these  Tartars  under  the  command  of  Oth- 
man,  that  he  made  this  chief  his  lieutenant  general.  Upon 
Aladin's  death,  Othman  obtained  the  sovereignty  of  his  country, 
and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Turkish  monarchy  at  Ico- 
nium, about  the  year  1300.  From  him  is  the  imperial  Turk- 
ish family  called  Othman  or  Ottoman.  He  conquered  a  great 
part  of  Cappadocia  and  Bythinia,  in  which  last  province  he 
fixed  his  residence  at  the  town  of  Prusa,  which  remained  the 
imperial  seat,  till  the  Turks  transferred  it  to  Adrianople  in  1 404, 
and  afterwards  to  Constantinople  in  1453.  Othman  died  in 
1326. 

The  succeeding  Turkish  sultans  inherited  the  warlike  spirit 
of  Othman  their  foundei*,  and  quarrelling  with  the  Saracen 
princes,  took  from  them  in  process  of  time  many  countries, 
which  they  hold  at  this  day.  They  likewise  continued  their 
conquests  upon  the  Greeks,  that  is,  upon  the  eastern  Romrn 
empire,  and  attempted  even  Constantinople  itself,  the  emperor's 
seat,  several  times,  but  were  repulsed  or  bought  off  by  con- 
cessions.    At  last  Mahomet  II.  resolved  to  reduce  that  city, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  123 

laid  siege  to  it  in  1453,  with  a  land  army  of  300,000  men,  and 
above  a  hundred  galleys,  with  130  other  smaller  vessels.  The 
srarrison  consisted  of  no  more  than  five  thousand  Greeks  and 
two  thousand  strangers,  the  command  of  which  Constantme 
Palaeologus  the  emperor  gave  to  Justinian,  an  experienced 
Genoese  officer.  Nothing  was  omitted  by  the  emperor,  to  put 
the  place  in  a  good  posture  of  defence.  The  city- wall  being 
double  and  very  strong,  Mahomet  prepared  an  artillery  of 
fourteen  batteries,  procured  some  pieces  of  cannon  of  a  prodi- 
gious size,  that  shot  stone  bullets  of  two  hundred  pounds.* 
These  pieces  had  been  cast  by  a  Hungarian  founder,  a  Christ- 
ian, who  having  offered  his  services  to  Constantine,  and  met 
with  little  encouragement,  went  over  to  the  sultan.  These 
horrible  engines  of  destruction  were  fired  night  and  day,  and 
carried  with  them  such  force,  that  they  soon  made  large 
breaches  in  the  wall.  Under  such  extraordinary  difficulties, 
the  besieged,  however,  made  a  vigorous  defence,  repaired  as 
much  as  possible  the  breaches,  and  made  successful  sallies,  in 
which  they  killed  many  Turks,  and  burned  some  of  their 
works. 

Mahomet,  finding  that  his  fleet  was  hindered  from  approach- 
ing the  town  by  a  great  chain  that  crossed  the  entrance  of  the 
port,  and  which  was  defended  by  ships  posted  there  for  the 
purpose,  is  said  to  have  practised  .an  incredible  expedient 
suggested  by  a  renegado  Christian,  of  conveying  seventy  of 
his  ships,  by  means  of  engines,  OA^er  the  land  for  the  space  of 
eight  miles  into  the  haven.  On  another  hand,  to  encourage 
his  men,  he  promised  them  they  should  share  among  them- 
selves the  whole  plunder  of  Constantinople,  and  that  he  who 
first  mounted  the  wall,  should  be  entitled  to  the  government 
of  the  town.  He  told  them  there  had  appeared  a  stream  of 
light  over  the  city  three  nights  together,  which  was  a  certain 
presage,  that  God  had  now  withdrawn  his  protection  from  it. 
These  promises  and  speeches  animated  surprisingly  his  troops, 
and  he  resolved  upon  a  general  assault.  The  emperor,  who 
had  intimation  of  the  sultan's  design,  resolved  on  his  side  to 
make  the  most  vigorous  opposition  and  harangued  so  patheti- 
cally his  officers  and  men,  that  they  all  seemed  ready  to 
second  his  intention. 

The  dispositions  being  made  for  the  attack,  on  the  29th  of 
May,  early  in  the  morning,  the  general  assault  began,  both  by 

*  See  the  Greek  historians,  Phranzes  and  Chalcondylas;  of  whom 
Phranzes  was  master  of  the  wardrobe  to  the  emperor,  and  m  the  town  du- 
ring the  siege. 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHtTRCH. 

sea  and  land.  The  Turkish  land  forces  advanced,  under  the 
iire  of  their  camion,  with  surprising  resolution,  and  were  re- 
ceived with  equal  resistance  by  the  Greeks,  w^ho  performed 
prodigies  of  vaJour.  The  ditches  were  soon  filled  with  the 
dead  bodies  of  the  Turks  that  were  slain  ;  and  the  emperor 
and  Justinian  exhibited  such  skill  and  heroic  bravery,  that 
the  assailants  were  obliged  to  retire  back.  But  the  Janizaries 
coming  to  their  assistance,  they  rallied,  renewed  the  charge, 
and  through  the  most  violent  fire  of  the  besieged,  and  a  storm 
of  darts  and  stones,  they  gained  the  top  of  the  wall,  where  a 
Janizary  immediately  planted  the  Turkish  standard.  This 
unexpected  success  inspired  the  Turks  with  new  vigour,  and 
damped  the  spirit  of  the  Greeks. 

The  Mahometans  had  likewise  the  advantage  on  the  side 
of  the  sea.  But  what  completed  the  ruin  of  the  besieged, 
was  their  being  abandoned  by  their  general,  Justinian,  who 
finding  himself  wounded,  retired  without  appointing  any  one 
to  command  in  his  room ;  nor  could  he  be  prevailed  upon  to 
return  by  the  most  pressing  remonstrances  of  the  emperor. 
This  retreat  of  Justinian  so  discouraged  the  Greeks,  that  they 
began  to  give  way,  and  presently  fled  in  great  disorder  and 
precipitation.  The  Turks  immediately  pouring  in,  like  a 
torrent,  at  the  breach,  pursued  the  fugitives,  slaughtering 
them,  and  pressing  them  so  closely,  that  eight  hundred  of 
them  were  trodden  to  death.  Among  these  was  the  emperor, 
w^ho  having  placed  himself  at  the  breach,  and  made  prodi- 
gious eflorts  to  stop  the  inundation  of  the  barbarians,  was 
carried  away  by  the  multitude,  and  perished  with  them. 
Thus  ended  the  reign  of  Constantine  Palaeologus  in  1453; 
and  in  him  expired  the  empire  of  the  Greeks,  that  is,  the 
eastern  Roman  empire,  which  had  lasted  1123  years  from  its 
first  establishment  by  Constantine  the  Great,  in  the  year  330. 

After  the  death  of  the  emperor,  the  Turks  met  with  no 
more  resistance  ;  and  those,  who  had  attacked  the  town  at 
the  side  of  the  port,  having  also  made  good  their  entrance, 
the  Greeks  had  their  enemies  both  before  and  behind,  and 
Avere  slaughtered  without  mercy.  Then  the  ruffians  trans- 
ferred their  fury  against  the  inhabitants,  of  whom  they  butch- 
ered such  a  number,  that  it  is  reckoned  there  perished  in  this 
sack  of  Constantinople,  forty  thousand  Greeks,  and  sixty  thou- 
sand were  afterwards  sold  for  slaves.  On  this  unhappy  oc- 
casion, the  churches  were  profaned  ;  bishops  were  seen  pri- 
soners in  their  pontifical  habits;  and  nuns,  in  their  religious 
dress,  tied  as  slaves.     The  holy  vestments  were  used  as  trap- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  125 

pings  for  the  horses.  Meat  was  served  up  to  the  table  in  the 
sacred  vessels,  and  chalices  were  used  to  drink  out  of.  In 
fine,  the  barbarians  gave  a  loose  to  all  the  human  passions, 
and  rioted  with  such  licentiousness  for  three  days,  that  they 
committed  all  kinds  of  excesses,  and  the  most  enormous  and 
execrable  crimes,  that  history  has  ever  informed  us  to  have 
been  perpetrated  on  such  occasions. 

Thus  Mahomet  and  his  successors  added  to  their  conquest 
many  other  countries,  both  in  Asia  and  Europe,  which  the 
Turks  are  still  in  possession  of  To  pursue  this  history  any 
further,  seems  therefore  unnecessary,  and  we  may  conclude 
with  observing  in  general,  that  the  Mahometan  power  and 
religion  have  prevailed  to  a  prodigious  extent,  taking  in  the 
greatest  part  of  Asia,  many  spacious  countries  in  Africa,  and 
not  a  small  share  of  Europe ;  so  that  the  event  demonstrates 
that  power  was  given  to  him,  to  Mahomet  and  his  succes- 
sors, over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  that  is,  already  over 
the  fourth  part  of  the  old  world. 

The  sounding  of  the  fourth  Trumpet. 

Aj>oc.  chap.  viii.  12.  "And  the  fourth  angel  sounded  the 
trumpet,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  the 
third  part  of  the  moon,  and  third  part  of  the  stars,  so 
that  the  third  part  of  them  was  darkened,  and  the  day 
did  not  shine  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  in  like 
manner." 

At  the  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet,  behold!  the  third 
part  of  the  sun,  and  of  the  moon,  and  of  the  stars,  is  eclipsed, 
or  struck  with  darkness:  a  noble  figure,  indicating,  that,  while 
the  Church  of  Christ  is  in  the  most  flourishing  state,  and  shi- 
ning like  those  glorious  luminaries,  a  third  part  of  it  becomes 
unfortunately  obscured  by  the  fatal  heresy  and  schism  of  the 
Greeks.  This  schism  was  first  broached  by  Photius  at  Con- 
stantinople in  the  year  866.  It  infected  all  orders  of  Christ- 
ians, the  clergy,  the  princes,  and  the  body  of  the  faithful,  sig- 
nified respectively  by  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars;  and  it  lopped 
off  nearly  one  third  part  of  the  Church,  spreading  itself  from 
Constantinople  over  a  great  number  of  the  eastern  Christian 
countries.  Hence  it  happened  that  the  Catholic  Church  was 
robbed  of  a  third  part  nearly  of  her  members  of  all  ranks 
and  degrees,  and  was  consequently  despoiled  of  a  third  part  of 
her  lustre,  which  the  prophet  expresses  by  saying,  that  the 
day  did  not  shine  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  in  like 
manner. 

11* 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

It  is  plain  the  defection  of  the  Greeks  gave  such  a  shock 
to  the  Catholic  Church,  and  tore  away  such  a  large  portion 
of  her,  that  it  may  by  a  just  metaphor  be  called  a  great 
earthquake.     Apoc.  viii.  5.    See  p.  35. 

At  the  opening  of  the  fourth  seal,  we  saw  the  rise  of 
Mahometanism,  Avhich  ushered  in  the  fourth  age :  here  we 
see  the  birth  of  the  Greek  schism,  a  second  remarkable 
event,  which  distinguishes  what  may  be  deemed  another 
period  of  the  same  age,  commencing  about  the  year  866. 

The  preceding  Explication  elucidated  hy  a  succinct  History 
of  the  Greek  Schism. 

Photius,  a  eunuch,  a  man  equally  remarkable  for  his  high 
birth,  his  abilities,  and  learning,  was  honoured  with  consi- 
derable employments  at  the  imperial  court  of  Constantinople: 
but  he  disgraced  his  talents  and  dignities  by  his  base  fraudu- 
lent practices  and  ambition. 

He  was  a  favourite  of  Bardas  Csesar,  who  was  uncle  to 
the  young  emperor,  Michael,  and  governed  the  state  for  him. 
This  Bardas  having  been  reprimanded  and  even  excommuni- 
cated by  St.  Ignatius,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  fol*  his 
scandalous  debauched  life,  resolved  upon  this  prelate's  ruin. 
Having  much  influence  with  his  nephew,  the  emperor,  he 
prevailed  upon  him  to  banish  the  patriarch  from  Constantino- 
ple. All  means  were  then  used  to  extort  from  Ignatius  the 
resignation  of  his  see,  but  he  constantly  refusing,  Bardas  had 
the  presumption  to  nominate  Photius,  then  a  layman,  to  the 
patriarchate,  in  the  year  858.  But  this  nomination  not  being 
warranted  by  a  previous  election,  and  consequently  contrary 
to  the  canons  of  the  Church,  no  bishop  would  ordain  Photius, 
till  he  had  promised  upon  oath  to  acknowledge  Ignatius  as 
lawful  patriarch,  and  not  to  act  without  his  concurrence  and 
direction.  Nevertheless,  in  less  than  two  months  after  his 
ordination  he  persecuted,  violently  all  those  of  the  clergy  that 
adhered  to  Ignatius,  and  some  he  caused  to  be  scourged,  and 
others  otherwise  tormented.  And  in  order  to  destroy  Ignatius, 
he  persuaded  Bardas  to  commence  an  information  against  him, 
as  having  secretly  conspired  against  the  state.  But  nothing 
could  be  proved  against  the  holy  patriarch;  who  nevertheless 
was  removed  to  a  prison  in  the  suburbs  of  Constantinople, 
and  there  cruelly  tortured. 

In  consequence  of  such  unchristian  proceedings,  several 
bishops  of  the  province  of  Constantinople  assembled  and 
excommunicated  Photius.     On  the  other  side,  Photius.  sup- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  127 

ported  by  Bardas,  in  a  synod  of  some  of  his  adherents,  pro- 
nounced sentence  of  deposition  and  excommunication  against 
Ignatius,  who  thereupon  was  loaded  with  chains,  and  banish- 
ed to  Mytelene  in  the  isle  of  Lesbos.  To  colour  so  unjusti- 
fiable a  step,  Photius  sent  messengers  with  a  letter  to  Pope 
Nicholas,  in  which  he  signified,  that  Ignatius  had  resigned 
his  see  on  account  of  his  age  and  infirmities,  and  that  himself 
had  been  chosen  for  it  by  the  metropolitan  bishops,  and  had 
been  compelled  by  the  emperor  to  undertake  that  heavy 
burthen :  then  he  desired,  that  the  pope  would  ratify  both  the 
resignation  and  election.  As  the  pope  received  nO  account 
from  Ignatius,  who  was  not  suffered  by  his  enemies  to  send 
any,  his  holiness  despatched  two  legates  with  orders  only  to 
take  informations,  and  transmit  them  to  him.  The  legates 
being  arrived  at  Constantinople,  Photius  and  the  emperor 
found  means  to  gain  them  over  after  a  long  resistance.  IJpon 
this  a  synod  was  held  at  Constantinople  in  861,  in  which,  by 
the  prevarication  of  the  legates,  St.  Ignatius,  who  had  been 
sent  for,  was  unjustly  deposed,  and  afterwards  imprisoned  and 
most  barbarously  treated.  Photius  even  advised  the  emperor 
to  compel  Ignatius  to  read  his  own  condemnation  in  the 
Church,  and  then  to  have  his  eyes  pulled  out  and  his  hand 
cut  off.  But  Ignatius,  suspecting  some  sinister  design  was 
hatched  against  him,  disguised  himself,  made  his  escape  out 
of  prison,  and  fled. 

Ignatius  had  by  this  time  found  means  to  inform  the  pope 
of  what  had  passed  at  Constantinople.  His  holiness  com- 
plained of  the  prevarication  of  his  legates,  condemned  what 
had  been  done,  and  in  his  letters  to  the  emperor  and  Photius, 
insisted  that  Ignatius  was  the  lawful  patriarch,  and  Photius' s 
nomination  every  way  irregular  and  void.  Then  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  all  the  faithful  in  the  east,  the  pope  orders  the 
patriarchs  of  Alexandria,  Antioch,  and  Jerusalem,  and  the 
metropolitans  and  other  bishops,  to  hold  the  same  sentiments 
with  himself  in  regard  to  Ignatius  and  the  intruder.  Photius, 
like  a  daring  impostor,  suppressed  the  letter  he  had  received 
from  the  pope,  and  forged  another,  couched  in  terms  favourable 
to  himself;  but  the  cheat  was  discovered.  In  fine,  finding  it 
impossible  to  make  the  pope  propitious  to  his  cause,  he  re- 
solved to  wreak  his  revenge  upon  him  :  for  which  purpose, 
having  secured  the  emperor  in  his  interest,  he  held  a  council 
of  his  adherents  at  Constantinople  in  866,  in  which  he  pre- 
sumed to  pronounce  sentence  of  deposition  and  excommuni- 
cation against  Pope  Nicholas :  and  this  was  the  origin  of  the 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Greek  Schism.*  He  got  the  acts  of  this  pretended  synod, 
signed  by  twenty-one  bishops ;  but  he  added  false  subscrip- 
tions of  others  to  the  number  of  about  a  thousand.  Then  he 
wrote  a  circular  letter  to  the  eastern  patriarchs  and  bishops, 
containing  a  charge  against  the  Latin  Church.  First,  he 
found  fault  with  some  points  of  discipline  Avhich  before  his 
rupture  with  the  Church  he  had  approved  in  his  confession  of 
faith  which  he  sent  to  the  pope  seven  years  before  this  period. 
Then  he  proceeded  to  accuse  the  Latins  of  an  error  in  faith, 
for  teaching  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds,  not  from  the 
Father  only,  but  from  the  Father  and  the  Son :  which  tenet 
had  been  taught  by  the  Greek  Fathers  as  well  as  the  Latin. 
It  had  been  approved  in  the  third  general  council  held  at 
Ephesus,  and  in  several  subsequent  general  councils,  and  was 
expressly  defined  in  the  (Ecumenical  council  of  Florence  in 
1439.  By  rejecting  this  article,  Photius,  and  those  Greeks 
who  adhered  to  him,  added  heresy  to  schism.  But  as  their 
separation  from  the  unity  of  the  Catholic  Church  began  by 
schism,  it  has  retained  that  name. 

Basil  becoming  emperor  in  867,  banished  Photius  to  the  isle 
of  Scope,  and  restored  St.  Ignatius  to  his  see  of  Constantino- 
ple after  an  exile  of  nine  years.  At  this  prelate's  solicitation 
with  the  pope  and  emperor,  a  general  council  of  the  Church 
was  held  at  Constantinople  in  869,  at  which  presided  the 
legates  of  pope  Adrian  II.  who  had  succeeded  Nicholas.  The 
schismatical  synod,  which  had  been  held  by  Photius  as  men- 
tioned before,  was  here  condemned ;  and  he  himself  having 
been  sent  for  to  appear  before  the  council,  after  a  long  hear- 
ing, was  excommunicated.  Then  Photius,  by  the  emperor's 
orders,  was  sent  back  into  banishment ;  but  eight  years  after 
he  prevailed  upon  the  emperor  to  permit  him  to  return  to 
Constantinople. 

Upon  the  death  of  St.  Ignatius  in  878,  Photius,  with  armed 
men,  took  possession  of  the  Church  of  St.  Sophia,  and  kept 
possession  of  the  see  of  Constantinople,  though  repeatedly 
condemned  by  different  popes,  till  Leo  the  wise  succeeding 
Basil  in  the  empire  in  886,  banished  Photius  into  a  monastery 
in  Armenia,  where  he  died,  after  having  lived  full'  twenty 
years  in  open  schism. 

*As  the  body  of  the  Roman  dominions  had  been  divided  into  two 
empires;  the  western,  having  Rome  for  its  metropolis;  and  the  eastern, 
which  had  Constantinople  for  its  capital:  so  the  same  division  was  usually 
admitted  in  the  Church ;  the  western  part  being  often  called  the  Latin 
Church,  from  the  language  used  there;  and  the  eastern  was  styled  the 
Greek  Church,  likewise  from  its  language. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  129 

After  the  expulsion  of  Photius,  the  breach  between  the 
Latin  and  Greek  Churches  was  made  up  and  harmony  tole- 
rably well  restored;  though  in  several  instances  the  Greeks 
betrayed  a  spirit  of  animosity  against  the  Latins.  The  wound 
had  not  received  a  perfect  cure,  and  in  1053  it  was  opened 
afresh  by  Michael  Cerularius,  patriarch  of  Constantinople, 
who  upon  frivolous  pretences  and  groundless  accusations 
against  the  Latins,  revived  the  schism,  and  drew  into  his 
party  among  others  the  patriarchs  of  Antioch  and  Jerusalem. 
The  emperors  themselves  then  joining  in  the  cause,  contri- 
buted much  in  the  sequel  to  spread  the  infection  through  the 
eastern  empire.  And  thus  the  Greeks  were  separated  a  se- 
cond time  from  the  unity  of  faith,  and  from  the  centre  and 
prop  of  that  unity,  the  church  of  Rome.  In  1269  Michael 
Palaeologus,  emperor  of  the  Greeks,  alarmed  by  the  victorious 
arms  of  Charles  of  Anjou,  king  of  Sicily,  and  fearing  being 
attacked  by  him,  applied  to  the  pope,  desiring  his  holiness 
would  prevail*with  Charles  not  to  direct  his  arms  against  the 
Greeks.  The  better  to  gain  his  end,  Michael  promised  the 
pope  to  come  into  measures  for  putting  an  end  to  the  schism 
and  re-uniting  the  Greek  to  the  Latin  Church.  This  propo- 
sal was  agreeable  to  his  holiness,  as  it  offered  what  had  been 
several  times  attempted,  but  in  vain,  by  the  preceding  popes. 
They  had  repeatedly  exhorted  the  emperors  and  patriarchs  of 
Constantinople  to  recognize  their  ancient  mother,  and  unite  in 
faith.  This  salutary  advice  had  been  rejected,  but  now  cir- 
cumstances appeared  more  favourable  than  ever  for  a  union: 
in  hopes  therefore  of  success,  a  council  was  held  in  1274  at 
Lyons,  consisting  of  five  hundred  bishops,  Pope  Gregory  X. 
presiding  at  it  in  person.  Michael  Palaeologus,  emperor  of  Con- 
stantinople, sent  ambassadors  to  the  council  to  press  the  union 
of  the  two  churches.  They  being  arrived,  and  the  council 
assembled,  the  emperor's  letter  was  read,  containing  his  pro- 
fession of  the  true  orthodox  faith;  after  which  he  added: 
"We  acknowledge  this  to  be  the  true,  holy,  Catholic,  and 
orthodox  faith,  and  we  receive  and  confess  it  with  heart  and 
mouth,  the  same  as  the  Church  of  Rome  teaches;  and  we 
promise  to  keep  it  inviolably.  We  acknowledge  the  supre- 
macy of  the  Roman  Church,"  &c.  Then  was  read  the 
letter  of  the  Greek  prelates,  written  in  the  names  of  thirty- 
five  archbishops  with  their  suffragans,  who  nearly  made 
up  the  whole  number  of  the  schismatic  bishops.  In  this 
letter  they  expressed  their  concurrence  to  the  re-union  of 
the  two  Churches.     In  consequence  therefore  of  these  pro- 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

fessions  and  declaration^,  the  union  was  concluded  and  rati- 
fied. 

This  was  a  fair  prospect,  but  soon  vanished.  The  Greek 
emperor  had  used  violent  methods  to  extort  tlie  consent  of  the 
orientals,  for  the  union ;  and  therefore  for  want  of  sincerity  it 
could  not  be  expected  to  hold.  In  effect,  as  soon  as  the 
Greeks  saw  they  might  have  a  protector  in  the  person  of  the 
duke  of  Patras,  Avho  was  an  enemy  to  the  union,  they  openly 
declared  against  it,  and  joining  the  duke,  rebelled  against 
their  sovereign.  Their  party  was  strengthened  by  many  of 
the  emperor's  own  family ;  and  his  nearest  relations,  whom 
he  sent  at  the  head  of  his  troops  against  the  malecontents, 
some  would  not  act,  and  others  revolted  from  him.  Such  w^as 
the  animosity  and  insolence  of  the  schismatics,  that  having 
assembled  a  synod,  they  presumed  to  anathematize  the  pope 
and  the  emperor  and  their  adherents.  This  violent  renuncia- 
tion of  the  union  was  afterwards  further  confirmed  by  Andro- 
nicus,  who  succeeding  his  father  Michael  in  the  empire, 
retracted  what  he  had  formerly  done  in  favour  of  that  traiTS- 
action,  saying  he  had  been  Compelled  to  it  by  the  authority  of 
his  father. 

Many  attempts  were  made  in  the  sequel  by  the  popes  to 
rencAV  the  union,  but  they  proved  unsuccessful ;  till  at  last  in 
1437  a  fresh  negotiation  being  set  on  foot  between  the  Greek 
emperor  John  Palasologus  and  pope  Eugenius  IV.  it  was 
agreed  that  a  general  council  should  be  held,  of  both  the 
Greeks  and  Latins,  in  the  west,  for  that  important  object.  In 
pursuance  of  this  determination,  a  council  being  appointed 
and  opened  at  Ferrara  by  the  pope  himself  in  1438,  the 
emperor  and  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  with  twenty 
oriental  archbishops  and  bishops,  and  a  great  number  of  other 
Greek  clergy  of  distinguished  abilities  and  merit,  repaired 
thither.  The  patriarchs  of  Alexandria,  Antioch,  and  Jerusa- 
lem, sent  also  their  deputies.  Some  inconveniences  happening 
at  Ferrara,  the  council  was  transferred  with  the  consent  of 
the  Greeks  to  Florence.  There  all  difficulties  being  discuss- 
ed, the  emperor,  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  and  the 
Greek  bishops,  professed,  according  to  the  faith  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeded  from  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  and  that  the  pope  was  head  of  the  univer- 
sal Church,  &c.  Then  the  re-union  of  the  two  Churches  was 
agreed  to,  and  a  decree  drawn  up  for  that  purpose.  In  this 
decree  were  contained  the  articles  of  faith  above-mentioned, 
and  other  points  which  the  Greeks  had  consisted,  and  whicl? 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  131 

were  now  defined  conformable  to  the  Catholic  doctrine.  The 
pope,  the  emperor,  and  all  the  Greeks,  as  well  as  Latins,  sub- 
scribed the  decree,  except  Mark,  archbishop  of  Ephesus,  who 
alone  among  the  Greeks  refused  to  sign  it.  Then  they  all 
kissed  the  pope's  hand,  and  embraced  one  another  in  token  of 
union  and  mutual  charity.  Thus  was  this  momentous  affair 
concluded  in  1439. 

The  eyes  of  all  Christendom  had  been  attentively  fixed  on 
this  council,  and  the  happy  issue  of  it  diffused  universal  joy 
through   the   Catholic  Church.     What   event   irTdeed   could 
possibly    be   more    desirable,  than   that  so  large  a  body  of 
Christians,  separated   for  so  many  ages  from    the  unity  of 
faith,  should  at  length  be  brought  back,  and  re-enter  into  the 
bosom  of  their  mother-Church?    But  this  bright  sunshine  of 
concord  and  joy  had  only  emerged  from  one  cloud,  presently 
to  be  intercepted  by  another.      When  the  emperor  and  the 
Greeks  arrived  at  Constantinople,  they  found  the  clergy  of 
that  city  violently  prepossessed  against  the  union,  and  had  in- 
spired the  people  with  the  same  disposition.     They  reviled 
bitterly  all  those  who  had  signed  it,  calling  them  traitors  and 
apostates,  and  they  extolled  with  the  highest  encomiums  Mark 
of  Ephesus,  for  his  courage  in  refusing  alone  his  consent. 
This  obstinate  prelate  seeing  the  tide  run  thus  in  his  favour, 
availed  himself  of  it,  to  declaim  and  write  against  the  union. 
In    fine,  tiie    schismatics   worked  themselves  up  to    such   a 
degree  of  rage,  that  an  inundation  of  libels  soon  appeared, 
fraught  with  virulence,  calunmies,  and  falsehoods.     So  much 
opposition  and  ill-treatment  those  met  with  who  had  been  at 
the  council  of  Florence  and  assented  to  the  union,  made  such 
impression  upon  them,  that  many  lost  cowrage,  yielded  to  the 
stream,  and  gave  up  the  cause.      They  even  renounced  what 
had  Ken  done,  and  setting  up  to  oppugn  the  faith  they  had 
embraced,  they  greatly  contributed  to  increase  the  party.    To 
complete  the  misfortune,  the  patriarchs  of  Alexandria,  Anti- 
och,  and  Jerusalem,  stirred  up  by  the  schismatic  bishop  of 
Caesarea  in  Cappadocia,  assembled  a  synod  in  1443,  in  which 
they  condemned  what  had  been  done  at  Florence,  and  threat- 
ened to  excommunicate  the  emperor  if  he  continued  to  adhere 
to  the  Latins.      The  deference  which  the   orientals  paid  to 
these  patriarchs,  influenced  them  to  receive  their  determina- 
tion, <end  to  remain  in  schism.    Russia  likewise  and  Muscovy, 
which   had  adopted  some  centuries  before  the  schism  of  the 
Greek,  followed  now  their  example,  rejected  the  union,  and 
imprisoned  the  pope's  legate  who  came  to  propose  it  to  them. 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Thus  was  a  third  part  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  smitten  and 
darkened  a  second  time,  or  at  least  remained  eclipsed.  And 
thus  vanished  the  fair  prospect  of  a  noble  triumph  for  the 
Catholic  faith. 

A.  few  years  after  this  period,  that  is,  in  the  beginning  of 
the  year  145 1,  Pope  Nicholas  V.,  a  pontiff  of  remarkable  piety 
and  learning,  grieving  at  the  invincible  obstinacy  of  the 
Greeks,  and  reflecting  on  the  repeated  labours  taken  for  their 
conversion,  wrote  to  them  a  letter,  in  which  after  mentioning 
the  preparations  the  Turks  were  making  against  them,  and 
the  succours  they  might  hope  for  from  the  Catholic  princes, 
he  then  exhorted  them  in  a  pathetic  manner,  not  to  render  use- 
less by  thfeir  ingratitude  to  God  these  succours,  but  to  open 
their  eyes  upon  their  past  stubbornness,  and  to  unite  them- 
selves to  the  Catholic  Church,  according  to  the  agreement 
made  at  Florence.  He  addressed  himself  in  particular  to 
Constantine  Palseologus,  then  emperor  of  Constantinople,  to 
the  following  tenor:  "  That  the  Greeks  had  abused  too  long 
the  patience  of  both  God  and  men,  in  persisting  still  in  heresj 
and  schism;  that,  conformably  to  the  parable  in  the  gospel, 
God  would  further  wait,  to  see  if  the  fig-tree,  after  so  much 
care  and  attendance  in  vain,  would  at  last  yield  fruit:  that 
if  it  did  not  within  the  space  of  three  years,  which  God  still 
allowed  them,  the  tree  would  be  cut  down  by  the  root,  and  the 
Greek  nation  entirely  ruined  by  the  ministers  of  divine  jus- 
tice, who  would  be  sent  to  execute  the  sentence  already  pro- 
nounced in  heaven  against  them."  We  shall  presently  see 
the  literal  accomplishment  of  this  prediction. 

The  pouring  out  of  the  fourth  Vial. 

Apoc.  chap.  xvi.  8.  "  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his 
vial  upon  the  sun,  and  it  was  given  unto  him  to  afflict  men 
with  heat  and  fire: 

V.  9.  "  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and  they 
blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  who  hath  power  over  those 
plagues,  neither  did  they  penance  to  give  him  glory." 

Here  is  the  punishment  of  the  Greek  schismatics  for  their 
long-  and  obstinate  rebellion  against  the  Catholic  Church. 

In  the  prophecy  of  the  fourth  trumpet  the  sun  was  intro- 
duced to  represent  the  principle  of  light,  here  it  is  employed 
as  the  principle  of  heat,  which  are  known  to  be  the  two 
chief  qualities  of  the  sun.  The  vial  is  therefore  poured  out 
on  the  sun,  to  convert  its  quality  of  heat  or  fire"  into  an  instru- 
ment of  divine  vengeance  against  the  Greeks.    And  in  conse- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  133 

quence,  it  is  given  unto  him,  the  sun,  to  afflict  men  with  heat 
and  fire.  In  effect,  this  people  suffered  extremely  by  the  de- 
structive fire  of  terrible  engines  of  war,  that  were  worked  by 
gunpowder.  We  have  seen,  p.  123,  that  no  less  than  four- 
teen batteries  of  cannon  were  employed  to  fire  against  the 
town  of  Constantinople,  besides  the  ships  of  war;  and  that  in 
this  dreadful  artillery  were  some  such  huge  pieces  of  cannon 
as  had  never  been  seen  or  heard  of  before.  With  these  were 
the  walls  of  the  city  shattered  to  pieces,  and  the  Greeks  them- 
selves miserably  cut  off  They  were  the  more  terrible,  as 
cannon  were  at  that  time  a  recent  invention,  and  but  newly 
brought  into  use  in  the  eastern  countries.  Hence  it  appears 
how  the  Greeks  were  scorched  with  great  heat.  And  thus  the 
taking  of  Constantinople  by  the  Turks,  being  the  most  fatal 
and  finishing  stroke  upon  the  Greek  empire,  which  was  then 
put  an  end  to,  the  vial  here  chiefly  points  at  that  event. 

"And  they  blasphemed  the  name  of  God  who  has  power 
over  those  plagues.  They  blasphemed  the  name  of  God," 
that  is,  they  spoke  impiously  against  religion  and  its  minis- 
ters. They  uttered  the  most  virulent  invective  against  the 
Roman  Church,  presumed  to  condemn  its  doctrine,  and  to 
treat  with  ignominy  those  Greeks  who  espoused  it.  They 
would  not  even  pray  in  the  same  Church  with  those  who  had 
signed  the  union.  Two  years  before  the  siege,  that  is,  in 
1451,  the  schismatics  of  Constantinople  had  written  to  those 
Bohemians,  who  had  adopted  the  errors  of  John  Huss,  appro- 
ving the  part  they  had  taken  against  the  Church  of  Rome, 
and  inviting  them  to  a  coalition  with  themselves  in  religious 
tenets.  The  year  after,  perceiving  that  the  emperor  had 
embraced  the  union,  and  prevailed  upon  a  few  to  follow  his 
example,  they  rose  up  tumultuously,  both  clergy  and  people, 
and  cried  out  anathema  upon  all  those  who  had  united  them- 
selves with  the  Latins.  This  spirit  of  animosity  against  the 
Catholic  faith  and  the  supremacy  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
continued  to  rage,  even  at  the  time  of  the  siege.  Notaras, 
admiral  of  the  Constantinopolitan  fleet,  seeing  the  people 
struck  with  consternation  at  the  view  of  Mahomet's  immense 
army,  scrupled  not  to  cry  out,  he  would  rather  choose  to  see 
the  turban  in  Constantinople  than  a  cardinal's  hat.  In  this 
manifold  manner  they  blasphemed  the  name  of  God.  And 
thus  they  persevered  in  rebellion  against  God,  who  has  power 
over  those  plagues,  that  is,  who  sent  those  calamities  with  a 
view  to  punish  and  reclaim  them.  Instead  of  corresponding 
with  the  design  of  heaven,  and  taking  admonition  from  the 
12 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

scourge  they  felt,  to  renounce  their  errors,  and  associate 
themselves  to  the  body  of  the  faithful  and  to  the  centre  of 
unity;  they  on  the  contrary  hardened  themselves  in  their 
obstinacy,  nor  would  they  do  penance  to  give  God  glory. 
What  wonder  then,  that  the  avenging  hand  of  God,  which 
they  had  armed  against  themselves,  fell  at  last  as  a  thunder- 
bolt upon  them,  and  crushed  them.  In  the  general  wreck, 
the  fate  of  Notaras,  the  above-mentioned  impious  admiral, 
appeared  somewhat  conspicuous.  After  the  town  was  taken, 
having  surrendered  himself  to  Mahomet,  and  presented  him 
with  a  rich  treasure  to  gain  his  good  graces,  he  was  never- 
theless received  with  contempt,  and  by  the  sultan's  order  was, 
with  his  two  sons,  beheaded. 

The  third  vial,  in  the  preceding  age,  poured  out  the  wrath 
of  God  on  ancient  Rome  and  the  Roman  empire  ;  the  fourth 
vial  here  in  like  manner  pours  out  the  divine  indignation  on 
the  guilty  Greeks,  which  pursues  them  first  through  their 
several  provinces,  and  then  finishes  their  ruin  at  Constanti- 
nople itself,  the  seat  of  their  empire,  in  1453.  The  Russian 
nations  which  had  espoused  the  Greek  schism,  and  persevere 
in  it  to  this  day,  have  they  not  reason  to  apprehend  a  share 
in  this  vial,  and  being  involved  sooner  or  later  in  the  punish- 
ment of  those,  in  whose  guilt  they  participate? 

The  Almighty  is  the  disposer  of  kingdoms.  He  raises 
them  up  like  huge  fabrics  for  the  execution  of  his  designs ; 
and  he  equally  throws  them  down,  when  they  presume  to  ri- 
val his  power,  or  to  disobey  his  commands.  "  The  Most 
High  rules  in  the  kingdom  of  men;  he  will  give  it  to  whom- 
soever it  shall  please  him,  and  he  will  appoint  the  basest 
man  over  it."   Daniel,  iv.  14. 

Of  the  vast  empire  of  Rome,  the  western  part  had  been  sa- 
crificed, as  we  saw,  for  the  extinction  of  idolatry  ;  and  now 
the  eastern  part,  having  made  itself  the  fortress  of  heresy 
and  schism,  becomes  obnoxious  to  the  jealousy  of  the  Most 
High  and  undivided  Deity,  and  therefore  is  sentenced  to  be 
equally  a  victim  of  destruction.  ■  It  may  be  said,  that  idol- 
atry is  an  offence  more  injurious  to  supreme  Majesty  than  he- 
resy or  schism :  we  allow  it,  and  for  that  reason  Constanti- 
nople sustained  one  calamity  less  than  pagan  Rome,  namely, 
that  of  fire,  by  which  Rome  was  reduced  to  ashes,  but  which 
Mahomet  prohibited,  perhaps  by  superior  direction  from  Con- 
stantinople. But,  on  another  hand,  if  pagan  Rome  was 
burned,  from  its  ashes  arose  up  a  Christian  Rome,  with  a 
new  kind  of  power  and  dignity  peculiar  to  itself,  which  was 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  135 

to  last  to  the  end  of  the  world ;  whereas,  though  Constanti- 
nople was  spared  from  destruction,  it  was  enslaved  by  a  bar- 
barous people,  the  greatest  enemies  to  Christianity.  The 
Jews  had  formerly  rejected  the  preaching  and  miracles  of  the 
Son  of  God,  for  which  reason  they  were  delivered  over  to 
the  sword  of  the  pagans,  their  inveterate  enemies.  In  like 
manner,  all  the  intreaties,  exhortations,  and  labours  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  to  reclaim  the  Greeks  from  their  errors, 
they  rejected  with  disdain ;  and  on  that  account  they  fell  a 
just  sacrifice  to  the  anger  of  God.  He  had  waited  many 
years,  to  give  them  time  to  resume  a  spirit  of  obedience  and 
produce  good  fruit,  but  finding  their  obstinacy  invincible,  he 
cut  them  down  like  the  barren  fig-tree,  as  Pope  Nicholas  had 
foretold  them.  They  refused  the  jurisdiction  of  a  spiritual 
superior,  whom  Christ  has  appointed  over  his  Avhole  flock ; 
and  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  tyrannical  masters,  from  whom 
they  have  nothing  to  expect,  but  oppression,  slavery,  and  de- 
spair. No  kingdom  can  stand  that  opposes  the  kingdom  of 
Christ ;  for  "  he  is  the  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings," 
Apoc.  xvii.  1 4.  and  "  a  tvv^o-edged  sword  proceeds  from  his 
mouth,"  Apoc.  i.  16.  See  'p.  21.  for  the  destruction  of  his  ene- 
mies. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  FIFTH   AGE   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH. THE  OPENING  OF  THE   FIFTH   SEAL. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  9.  "  And  when  he  (the  Lamb)  had  opened 
the  fifth  seal,  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  under  the  altar  the  souls 
of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  tes- 
timony which  they  held. 

V.  10.  "  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying :  How 
long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  revenge 
our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth? 

V.  11.  "And  white  robes  were  given  to  every  one  of 
them  one:  and  it  was  said  to  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet 
for  a  little  time,  till  their  fellow-servants  and  their  brethren, 
who  are  to  be  slain,  even  as  they  should  be  filled  up." 

The  Lamb  having  opened  the  fifth  seal,  St.  John  hears  the 
complaints  of  those  who  had  been  slain  for  the  word  of  God, 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCK. 

that  is,  for  the  observance  of  the  law  of  God,  and  for  the  tes- 
timony which  they  held,  or  for  the  testimony  which  they  had 
rendered  to  Christ  in  preaching  and  defending  his  doctrine. 
These  martyrs  are  seen  under  the  altar  in  heaven,  similar  to 
the  altar  of  holocausts,  which  stood  in  the  Jewish  tabernacle. 
On  that  altar  the  victims,  called  holocausts,  were  burnt,  and 
their  remains,  the  ashes,  fell  under  the  altar.  In  allusion  to 
this,  the  souls,  or  precious  spiritual  remains  of  those  whose 
bodies  had  been  slain  and  sacrificed  in  the  fire  of  persecu- 
tion, are  here  seen  under  the  altar.  Who  are  the  martyrs 
spoken  of  in  this  seal,  we  are  now  to  examine;  and  it  must 
be  observed,  that  under  the  name  of  martyrs  we  comprehend 
all  those  who  have  suffered  death  for  religion,  whether- they 
have  been  declared  martyrs  of  the  church  or  not.  In  the 
first  place,  it  is  well  known  that  the  reformation,  introduced 
by  Luther  and  other  new  teachers,  has  had  too  much  share 
in  the  spilling  of  blood  for  the  cause  of  religion.  We  do  not 
pretend  to  produce  an  account  of  all  the  individuals  that  have 
suffered  by  their  hands.  The  history  of  the  reformation,  in 
many  cases,  relates  only  in  general  the  massacres  committed 
on  the  Catholics,  The  Anabaptists  in  Germany  opened  the 
cruel  scene,  very  soon  after  the  birth  of  the  protestant  reli- 
gion. They  were  actuated  with  such  rancour  against  those 
whose  communion  they  had  left,  tliat  in  1525  they  plundered 
the  country,  set  fire  to  the  churches  and  monasteries,  and 
murdered  the  priests,  monks,  and  noblemen.  ArrioJdus  Me- 
sov.  Hist,  des  Anabap.  Dwpiri.  The  Calvinists,  on  another 
hand,  wherever  they  came,  committed  unheard  of  violences 
and  barbarities.  Dreadful  was  the  tragedy  in  France,  Hol- 
land, in  some  parts  of  Germany,  &c.  Nicholas  Froumen- 
teau,  a  reformed  minister,  confesses  that  the  Calvinists  mas- 
sacred, in  the  province  of  Dauphine  only,  256  priests  and  1 12 
monks  and  friars.  Des  financ.  de  Franc.  In  Holland  we 
find  that  nineteen  priests  and  religious  men  were  taken  by 
the  Calvinists  in  Gorcum,  and  after  being  made  to  suffer 
many  insults,  were  hanged  for  their  religion  at  the  town  of 
Bril,  on  the  same  day,  1572.  See  their  History  in  W.  Estius 
Batavia  sacra. 

England  also  showed  itself  very  forward  in  persecuting 
those  who  were  attached  to  the  ancient  faith.  Sir  Thomas 
More,  lord  high  chancellor,  and  Fisher,  bishop  of  Rochester, 
two  illustrious  ornaments  of  the  nation,  and  distinguished  as- 
serters  of  the  Catholic  religion,  were  beheaded  in  1535,  for 
refusing  to  subscribe  to  the  spiritual  supremacy  which  Henry 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  137 

VIII.  usurped  over  the  Church  in  England.  Besides,  that 
despotic  and  cruel  monarch  put  to  death  thirteen  abbots  and 
priors,  about  seventy-seven  monks  and  religious  persons,  and 
many  of  the  laity.     Hcylo/is  Hist,  of  the  Reformaiioti. 

Violent  was  the  persecution  in  dueen  Elizabeth's  reign ; 
it  was  even  asfSfravated  with  severities  used  in  the  heathenish 
times,  as  tortures  were  sometimes  applied  to  the  generous  vic- 
tims, before  they  were  allowed  to  receive  the  stroke  of  death. 
There  have  been  found  to  have  suffered  death  for  the  testi- 
mony they  held  in  this  reign,  at  least  124  priests  and  57  lay 
persons  :  besides  others  who  perished  in  prison.  Under  king 
James  I.,  though  the  persecution  somewhat  abated,  it  did  not 
cease.  No  less  than  twenty-seven  persons  of  different  deno- 
minations were  put  to  death  for  the  Catholic  faith  in  this 
reign.  Charles  I.  was  naturally  of  too  humane  a  disposition 
to  incline  to  persecution ;  but  such  was  the  iniquity  of  the 
times  and  the  importunity  of  malevolent  persons,  that  he  was 
forced  away  with  the  tide,  and  ordered  the  execution  of  the 
penal  laws  against  his  Catholic  subjects.  Twenty-two  were 
sacrificed  in  this  period.  The  temper  of  the  times  was  nearly 
the  same  during  a  part  of  Charles  II.'s  reign,  and  such  un- 
happily was  his  compliant  disposition,  that  twenty-four  per- 
sons were  put  to  death  for  the  Catholic  faith,  and  many  died 
in  prison.  Thus  the  annals  of  England  are  stained  with  the 
blood  of  many  of  its  own  subjects,  immolated  to  the  cause  of 
religion.  See  a  particular  account  of  these  persecutions  in 
the  "  Memoirs  of  Missionary  PriestsJ^  6fc. 

We  shall  now  remove  the  scene  to  a  distant  part  of  the 
world.  St.  Francis  Xavier  planted  the  Catholic  faith  in  the 
idolatrous  kingdom  of  Japan,  in  1549,  baptized  great  num- 
bers, and  whole  provinces  received  the  gospel.  In  1592  a 
persecution  was  raised  against  the  Christians  by  the  Emperor 
Cambacundono,  who  usurped  the  honours  of  a  deity;  and  se- 
veral Japanese  converts  received  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 
The  Emperor  Tageosama,  one  of  the  proudest  and  most  vi- 
cious of  men,  revived  the  persecution  in  1597,  and  three  Je- 
suits, six  Franciscans,  and  seventeen  converts,  were  con- 
demned to  be  crucified.  As  they  hung  upon  the  crosses,  the 
executioners,  at  a  signal  given,  pierced  their  bodies  with 
lances ;  upon  which  they  expired,  and  went  to  receive  a  re- 
ward "  for  being  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testi- 
mony w^hich  they  held."  Their  blood  and  garments  were 
procured  by  Christians,  and  miracles  were  wrought  by  them. 
In  1602,  the  pagan  emperor,  Cumbosama,  renewed  again 
12* 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

the  bloody  tragedy,  and  many  Christians  were  beheaded, 
crucified,  or  burned.  In  1614,  new  cruelties  were  employed 
to  overcome  the  fortitude  of  the  Christian  heroes,  as  bruising 
their  feet  between  pieces  of  wood,  cutting  ofl"  or  squeezing 
their  lunbs  one  after  another,  applying  red-hot  irons  or  slow 
fires,  flaying  off  the  skin  of  their  fingers,  putting  burning 
coals  to  their  hands,  tearing  off  the  flesh  with  pincers,  or 
thrusting  reeds  into  different  parts  of  their  bodies :  all  which 
innumerable  persons,  even  children,  bore  with  invincible  con- 
stancy till  death.  In  1616,  Xogun  succeeding  his  father 
Cumbosama  in  the  empire,  surpassed  him  in  cruelty.  By  his 
orders  fifty  martyrs  suffered  together,  of  whom  nine  were  Je- 
suits, four  Franciscans,  and  six  Dominicans ;  the  others  lay- 
men. Twenty-five  were  burned,  the  rest  beheaded.  Many 
others  suflered  variously,  being  either  burned  at  slow  fires, 
crucified,  beheaded,  or  thrown  into  a  burning  mountain,  or 
hung  with  their  heads  downwards  in  pits.  In  1639,  all  Eu- 
ropeans, except  the  Dutch,  were  forbid  entrance  into  Japan. 
Five  Jesuits  landed  there  secretly  in  1642,  but  being  disco- 
vered, after  cruel  tortures,  they  were  hung  down  in  pits  till 
they  expired. 

St.  Francis  Xavier,  after  having  established  Christianity 
in  Japan,  was  desirous  also  of  carrying  the  standard  of  the 
cross  into  the  great  pagan  empire  of  China,  but  died  before 
he  reached  it.  His  religious  brethren,  the  Jesuits,  inspired 
with  a  truly  apostolic  spirit,  pursued  the  design,  and  after 
many  fruitless  attempts,  at  last  got  admittance  into  the  coun- 
try in  1583.  They  soon  converted  many,  and  numerous 
churches  of  Christians  began  to  flourish  in  several  provinces 
of  China.  But  the  inveterate  enemy  of  Christianity,  the  de- 
vil, irritated  at  seeing  his  own  power  decline  in  a  kingdom 
he  had  so  long  kept  in  captivity,  set  himself  to  work,  in  order 
to  extirpate  the  Christian  religion,  or  at  least  to  stop  its  growth. 
He  wreaked  his  first  fury  on  Father  Francis  Martinez,  a 
Chinese  Jesuit,  who  having  converted  a  famous  doctor,  was 
beaten  several  times,  and  at  length  expired  under  the  torment 
Then  he  proceeded  against  the  Dominican  friars,  Avho  had 
likewise  entered  China,  and  converted  great  numbers  to  the 
faith.  Four  of  them  received  the  crown  of  martyrdom  in 
the  year  1647,  and  a  fifth  in  1648.  Chunchi,  who  ascended 
the  imperial  throne  of  China  in  1650,  was  favourable  to  the 
Christians ;  but  after  his  demise,  the  four  regents  of  the  em- 
pire put  to  death  five  Christian  mandarins  for  their  faith:  but 
the  young  emperor,  Camhi,  coming  of  age,  put  a  stop  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  139 

persecution,  and  gave  liberty  to  the  Christians  in  1671.  The 
Emperor  Kien-long  renewed  the  persecution  in  a  most  cruel 
manner.  A  great  number  of  Christians  of  all  ages  and  sexes 
were  banished,  beaten  and  tortured  divers  ways.  Many 
priests  and  others  died  of  their  torments,  or  of  the  hardships 
of  their  imprisonment.  Peter  Sanz,  a  Dominican  friar  and 
bishop,  was  beheaded  in  1747.  Four  Dominicans  were 
seized,  beaten  with  clubs,  buffeted  on  the  face  with  leather 
gauntlets,  and  after  twenty-eight  months  imprisonment,  were 
strangkd  privately  in  their  dungeons  in  1748.  In  the  same 
persecution  two  Jesuits,  after  repeated  tortures,  were  also 
strangled  in  prison. 

In  Tonquin,  a  kingdom  south  west  of  China,  also  enslaved 
to  idolatry,  the  Christian  religion  had  taken  deep  root  by  the 
zealous  labours  of  religious  missionaries.  But  in  the  year 
1743  a  persecution  was  set  on  foot,  in  which  150  churches 
were  demolished,  many  converts  were  beaten  on  their 
knees  with  a  hammer,  and  tortured  various  other  ways,  and 
two  priests  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominick  suffered  martyr- 
dom for  the  faith.  See  the  Histories  of  TrigauU,  Charle- 
voix, <^c. 

There  have  likewise  been  martyrs  within  the  two  last  cen- 
turies in  other  kingdoms  of  the  East  Indies,  as^in  the  Carna- 
tic,  Tanjour,  Medura,  &c.  And  the  new  discovered  continent 
of  America  has  also  been  sprinkled  with  Christian  blood.  See 
Leitres  cwrieuses  et  edijinntes. 

We  have  now  seen  who  they  are  "that  have  been  slain  for 
the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held." 
These  martyrs  are  the  objects  represented  under  the  fifth  seal. 
As  those  who  suffered  by  the  hands  of  the  protestants,  appear 
to  be  the  first  in  time,  we  may  fix  the  fifth  epocha,  or  commence- 
ment of  the  fifth  age  of  the  Church,  at  the  year  1525,  or  at 
the  rise  of  Luther's  reformation  about  the  year  1520. 

We  must  further  observe,  that  the  blood  here  spilt  in  the 
cause  of  religion  is  a  remarkable  characteristic  of  this  fifth 
age;  as,  before  that  period,  for  eight  or  nine  hundred  years, 
iew  are  to  be  found  who  suffered  for  the  faith. 

We  now  proceed  with  the  text.  "  And  they  (the  above- 
mentioned  martyrs,)  cried  with  aloud  voice,  saying:  How 
long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  revenge 
our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?"  How  long,  O  Lord, 
do  you  defer  judging  our  cause,  you,  who  are  holy  and  must  de- 
test the  cruelties  exercised  upon  us ;  you,  who  are  true,  and  have 
told  us,  YOU  will  revenge  the  injuries  done  to  your  servants? 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

•'  Will  not  God  revenge,"  says  Chnst,  "  his  elect  who  cry  to 
him  day  and  night,  and  will  he  have  patience  in  their  regard  ? 
I  say  to  you,  that  he  will  quickly  revenge  them."  Luke  xviii. 
7,  8.  The  martyrs  therefore  prefer  their  complaint  to  the 
throne  of  God,  requesting  the  judgment  of  their  cause,  not 
in  a  spirit  of  revenge,  but  that  the  justice  and  sanctity  of 
God,  who  is  holy  and  true,  may  be  vindicated. 

And  white  robes  were  given,  to  every  one  of  them  ;  a  sym- 
bol of  the  heavenly  beatitude,  into  which  they  are  received 
in  coming  from  their  conflicts.  And  it  was  said  to  them,  that 
they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little  time,  till  their  fellow-servants 
and  their  brethren,  who  are  to  be  slain,  even  as  they,  should 
be  filled  up.  They  are  told  here  to  wait  a  little  while,  till  the 
number  be  completed  of  their  fellow-servants,  that  is,  of  the 
bishops,  priests,  and  other  clergy,  and  of  their  brethren,  that 
is,  of  the  laity ;  who  are  to  suffer  martyrdom,  as  they  have 
done.  Thus  they  are  told  to  wait  a  little  while,  that  is,  to  the 
time  of  the  persecution  raised  in  France  in  1791,  &c.  and  the 
horrible  massacres  then  committed  of  the  clergy  and  others, 
in  hatred  to  religion  :  to  which  may  perhaps  be  added  other 
persecutions  that  may  happen  in  that  or  other  countries  during 
this  fifth  period  of  the  Church.  When  thus  the  number  of 
these  victims  immolated  to  religion  shall  be  filled  up,  then 
the  Almighty  will  revenge  the  blood  of  them  all. 

What  human  oblation  can  be  more  grateful  and  glorious 
to  the  divine  Author  of  the  Christian  religion,  than  the  sacri- 
fice of  holy  victims  slain  for  his  sake  ?  And  this  is  the  ho- 
nour which  the  Lamb  was  entitled  to  receive,  and  here  actu- 
ally receives.     Apoc.  v.  12.  Seep.  29. 

Before  we  proceed  to  the  prophecy  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  it 
is  proper  to  take  notice  of  what  St.  John  prefixes  to  it. 

A^oc.  chap.  viii.  13.  "And  I  beheld,"  says  he,  "and  heard 
the  voice  of  one  eagle*  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven, 
saying  with  a  loud  voice :  Wo,  wo,  wo,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth,  by  reason  of  the  rest  of  the  voices  of  the  three 
angels,  who  are  yet  to  sound  the  trumpet." 

Behold  an  eagle,  a  suitable  bird  on  this  occasion  on  account 
of  its  swiftness,  flies  through  the  midst  of  the  sky,  announ- 
cing with  a  loud  voice  a  wo  on  each  of  the  three  succeeding 
ages,  namely,  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh :  by  which  we  may 
understand,  that  greater  disasters  remain  to  be  sustained  by 
the  Church  of  Christ  in  these  three  last  than  in  the  prece- 
ding ages. 

♦  In  the  Greek  text,  "  an  angel." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  141 

The  Sounding  of  Ihe  Fifth   Trumfet 

Afoc.  chap.  ix.  1.  "And  the  fifth  angel  sounded  the  trum- 
pet, and  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto 
the  earth,  and  there  was  given  to  him  the  key  of  the  bottom- 
less pit. 

V.  2.  "  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit :  and  the  smoke 
of  the  pit  arose,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace :  and  the 
sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  with  the  smoke  of  the  pit. 

V.  3.  "  And  from  the  smoke  of  the  pit  there  came  out  lo- 
custs upon  the  earth :  and  power  was  given  to  them,  as  the 
scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power : 

V.  4.  "  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they  should  not 
hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  nor  any  green  thing,  nor  any  tree ; 
but  only  the  men  who  have  not  the  sign  of  God  on  their 
foreheads. 

V.  5.  "  And  it  was  given  unto  them  that  they  should  not  kill 
them ;  but  that  they  should  torment  them  five  months :  and 
their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion  when  he  stri- 
keth  a  man. 

V.  6.  "  And  in  those  days  men  shall  seek  death,  and  shall 
not  find  it ;  and  they  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  fly 
from  them. 

V.  7.  "  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts,  were  like  unto  horses 
prepared  unto  battle ;  and  on  their  heads  were  as  it  were 
crowns  like  gold  ;  and  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of  men. 

V.  8.  "  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women ;  and 
their  teeth  were  as  of  lions. 

V.  9.  "  And  they  had  breast  plates  as  breast  plates  of  iron  ; 
and  the  noise  of  their  wings  was  as  the  noise  of  chariots  of 
many  horses  running  to  battle. 

V.  10.  "  And  they  had  tails  like  to  scorpions,  and  there 
were  stings  in  their  tails:  and  their  power  was  to  hurt  men 
five  months.     And  they  had  over  them, 

V.  11.  "A  king,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  \vhose 
name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and  in  Greek  Apollyon  :  in 
Latin  Exterminans,  that  is.  Destroyer." 

Here  is  a  description  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  re- 
formation. This  trumpet  begins  with  announcing  to  us  the 
fall  of  a  star  from  heaven  ;  a  very  just  emblem  of  the  apostacy 
of  Luther,  who,  in  quality  of  a  priest  and  religious  man,  is 
styled  a  star,  but  renouncing  his  faith  and  vows,  in  which  he 
had  hitherto  virtuously  lived,  may  truly  be  said  to  have  fallen 
from  heaven.     This  star  fell  upon  the  earth,  that  is,  upon  the 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Church,  compared  to  the  fixed  solid  earth,  because  she  was 
then  in  a  state  of  peace. 

Martin  Luther,  an  Augustinian  friar,  a  bold  man  and  a  ve- 
hement declaimer,  having  imbibed  erroneous  sentiments  from 
the  heretical  writings  of  John  Huss  of  Bohemia,  took  occa- 
sion from  the  publication  of  indulgences  promulgated  by  pope 
Leo  X.  to  break  with  the  Catholic  Church,  and  to  propagate 
his  new  errors  in  1517,  at  Wiriemburg  in  Saxony.  He  first 
inveighed  against  the  abuse  of  indulgences  ;  then  he  called 
in  question  their  efficacy ;  and  at  last  totally  rejected  them. 
He  proceeded  to  broach  new  opinions,  contrary  to  the  Catho- 
lic doctrine ;  as,  that  remission  of  sins  was  not  founded  on 
contrition,  but  on  faith  alone;  that  good  works  were  not  ne- 
cessary for  salvation  ;  and  other  tenets,  which  will  occur  in 
the  sequel.  He  threw  off  his  religious  habit,  renounced  the 
solemn  vows  he  had  made  to  God,  abandoned  his  cloister,  and 
returned  to  the  world.  He  declaimed  against  the  supremacy 
of  the  see  of  Rome,  and  condemned  the  whole  Church,  pre- 
tending that  Christ  had  abandoned  it,  and  that  it  wanted  re- 
forming, as  well  in  faith  as  discipline.  Thus  this  new  evan- 
gelist commenced  that  fatal  defection  from  the  ancient  faith, 
which  was  styled  "  Reformation,"  and  which  afterwards  over- 
spread so  large  a  part  of  western  Christendom.  Such  was 
the  dismal  alarm  sounded  to  the  Church  by  the  fifth  trumpet. 

The  fifth  seal  exhibited  to  us  only  a  particular  interesting 
circumstance  of  the  reformation,  but  now  we  shall  see  that 
the  trumpet  unfolds  its  whole  history. 

"  There  was  given  to  him  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit," 
V.  L  To  St.  Peter  were  given  the  keys  of  heaven,  but  to  Lu- 
ther is  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  or,  hell.  Alas  ! 
what  a  woful  difference,  and  what  disparity  is  here  indicated 
in  the  characters  and  functions  of  the  apostle  and  the  reform- 
er !  Christ  assured  St.  Peter,  that  he  and  the  other  apostles, 
who  had  quitted  all  to  follow  him,  should,  at  the  last  day,  "  sit 
on  twelve  seats  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xix. 
28.  But  Luther,  instead  of  meriting  such  a  happy  pre-emi- 
nence in  heaven,  by  having  renounced  all  temporal  enjoy- 
mt^nts  for  Christ,  unfortunately  retracts  the  renunciation  he 
had  made,  returns  to  the  world,  and  therefore  is  cast  down 
like  a  fallen  star,  from  heaven  to  earth,  forfeiting  the  glorious 
crown  he  had  seemed  before  to  grasp  in  his  hands.  To  St. 
Peter  Christ  gave  a  super-eminent  power  and  heavenly  func- 
tion. "  To  thee  will  I  give  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  hc.;- 
ven  :  and  whatsoever  thou  shall  bind  upon  earth,  it  shall  be 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  143 

bound  also  in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on 
earth,  it  shah  be  loosed  also  in  heaven.  Matt.  xvi.  19.  But 
how  opposite  is  the  power  and  function  of  Luther  !  namely, 
to  open  the  bottomless  pit,  or  infernal  abyss,  from  whence 
flowed  a  stream  of  calamities  that  fell  upon  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  upon  earth.  Our  Saviour  said  to  St.  Peter,  "Thou art 
Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church,  and  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it,"  Matt.  xvi.  18.  But 
Luther  boldly  opened  the  bottomless  pit  or  the  gates  of  hell, 
to  endeavour  to  prevail  against  that  Church.  St.  Peter  was 
constituted  by  Christ  the  chief  pastor  of  his  whole  flock ; 
"  feed  my  lambs,  feed  my  sheep,"  John  xxi.  16,  17,  said  Christ 
to  him.  But  our  reformer,  by  his  own  authority,  declared 
himself  head  and  ring-leader  of  a  multitude  of  sectaries,  who, 
like  devouring  wolves,  have  laid  waste  the  fold  of  Christ. 

"  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit :  and  the  smoke  of  the 
pit  arose,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace,"  v.  2.  Luther 
therefore  opened  the  door  of  hell,  and  there  issued  out  a  thick 
smoke  as  from  a  great  furnace.  What  can  this  thick  smoke 
be,  but  a  strong  spirit  of  seduction,  which  had  been  hatched  in 
hell,  or  had  the  devil  for  its  parent,  and  which,  at  Luther's 
opening  hell's  door,  immediately  burst  out.  Impregnated  with 
this  steam,  or  spirit  of  seduction,  he  brought  forth  a  doctrine, 
big  with  delusion  and  error.  And  as  the  steam  he  imbibed 
was  hot,  as  coming  from  a  great  furnace,  he  propagated  his 
doctrine  with  heat,  violence,  and  insolence.  "  I  now  declare," 
says  he,  speaking  to  the  bishops,  "  that  for  the  future  I  will  not 
vouchsafe  you  so  much  honour,  as  to  submit  myself  or  doctrine 
to  your  judgment,  or  that  of  an  angel  from  heaven."  (Pre- 
face to  his  book,  Adversus falso  no niinatum  ordinem  Epis^.o- 
porum.)  He  wrote  a  book  which  he  entitled,  "  Against  the 
execrable  Bull  of  Antichrist :"  meaning  the  bull  of  his  condem- 
nation by  pope  Leo  X. ;  this  book  he  concluded  in  these  wordtS  : 
"  In  the  same  manner  that  they  excommunicate  me,  I  excom- 
municate them  again."  In  another  book,  which  he  published  in 
defence  of  the  articles  condemned  by  the  above-mentioned  bull, 
"  Forbear  ye,"  says  he,  "  to  make  the  war  against  the  Turic, 
until  the  name  of  the  Pope  be  taken  xom  beneath  the  heavens. 
I  have  said  it."  Nevertheless  oth'-^j-  instances  of  his  violence 
and  fury  might  be  alleged.  Such  was  his  spirit  of  pride,  that 
he  made  open  profession  of  contempt  for  the  authority  of  the 
Church,  councils,  and  fathers  ;  whilst  he  arrogated  an  infalli- 
bility  to  himself,  and  anathematized  all,  whether  Catholics  or 
Protestants,  that  dissented  from  him.      The  other  reformers 


144  HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

imbibed  the  same  hot  steam,  that  issued  out  of  the  infernal 
abyss.  They  in  consequence  broached  new  doctrines,  which 
they  propagated  and  defended  with  such  heat  and  vehemence, 
as  to  occasion  every  where  seditions  and  insurrections,  which 
they  seemed  to  glory  in.  Their  patriarch  Luther  openly 
boasted  of  it.  "  You  complain,"  said  he,  "  that,  by  our  gospel, 
the  world  is  become  tumultuous ;  1  answer,  God  be  thanked 
for  it,  these  things  I  would  have  so  to  be  ;  and  wo  to  me,  if  such 
things  were  not." 

"  And  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  with  the  smoke 
of  the  pit,"  V.  2.  The  spirit  of  seduction,  denottd  by  the 
smoke  of  the  pit,  produced  a  multitude  of  erroneous  doctrines, 
that  darkened  the  light  of  faith,  signified  by  the  sun,  and  the 
purity  of  morals  indicated  by  the  air.  The  light  of  faith, 
which  is  the  word  of  God,  may  well  be  represented  by  the 
sun,  the  great  luminary  of  the  universe,  according  to  that  of 
Psalm  118,  V.  105.  "  Thy  word,  O  Lord,  is  a  lamp  to  my 
feet,  and  a  light  to  my  paths."  And  as  the  air  is  the  spring  of 
man's  respiration  and  life,  it  may  be  a  just  type  of  morality, 
which  gives  spiritual  life  and  worth  to  all  human  actions. 
One  principal  design  of  the  reformation  was,  to  free  men  from 
two  troublesome  restraints,  of  subjecting  their  understanding 
to  the  mysteries  of  faith,  and  of  being  bound  down  in  their 
actions  to  the  strict  laws  of  morality.  The  new  teachers 
preached  up  a  hitherto  unheard  of  "evangelical  liberty,"  as 
they  styled  it,  by  virtue  of  which  they  were  masters  to  model 
their  belief  and  practice  as  it  suited  their  inclinations.  In 
pursuance  of  this  commodious  doctrine,  they  dissected  the  Ca- 
tholic faith  till  they  reduced  it  to  a  mere  skeleton  ;  they  lopped 
off  the  reality  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  in  the  holy 
Eucharist,  the  divine  Christian  sacrifice  offered  in  the  Mass, 
confession  of  sins,  most  of  the  sacraments,  penitential  exer- 
cises, several  of  the  canonical  books  of  the  scripture,  the  in- 
vocation of  saints,  celibacy,  most  of  the  general  councils  of  the 
Church,  and  all  present  Church  authority  ;  they  perverted 
the  nature  of  justification,  asserting  that  faith  alone  suffices  to 
justify  man ;  they  made  God  the  author  of  sin,  and  maintained 
the  observance  of  the  commandments  to  be  impossible. 

These  and  other  errors  were  taught  by  most  of  the  modern 
reformers  ;  and  they  all  agreed  in  renouncing  all  submission 
to  the  see  of  Rome. 

In  this  manner  were  the  sun  and  air  darkened,  or  faith  and 
morality  obscured  and  perverted.  For  a  few  specimens  of 
Luther's  doctrine,  take  the  following.  "  God's  commandments 


HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  145 

are  all  equally  impossible."  Da  Lib.  Christ.  T.  2.  fol.  4. 
"  No  sins  can  damn  a  man,  but  only  unbelief."  De  Captiv. 
Bab.  T.  2.  fol.  171.  "  God  is  just,  though  by  his  own  will  he 
lays  us  under  a  necessity  of  being  damned  ;  and  though  he 
damns  those  that  have  not  deserved  it."  To7n.  2.  fol.  434  and 
466.  "  God  works  in  us  both  good  and  evil."  Tom,.  2.  fol. 
444.  "  Christ's  body  is  in  every  place  no  less  than  the 
Divinity  itself."      Tom.  4.  fol.  37. 

Then  for  his  darling  principle  of  justification  by  faith  in  his 
1 1th  article  against  Pope  Leo,  he  says  :  "  Believe  strongly  that 
you  are  absolved,  and  absolved  you  will  be,  whether  you  have 
contrition  or  no."  Again  in  his  6th  article:  "  The  contrition, 
that  is  acquired  by  examining,  recollecting,  and  detesting  one's 
sins;  whereby  a  man  calls  to  mind  his  life  past  in  the  bitter- 
ness of  his  soul,  reflecting  on  the  heinousness  and  multitude 
of  his  offences,  the  loss  of  eternal  bliss,  and  condemnation  to 
eternal  wo  ;  this  contrition,  I  say,  makes  a  man  a  hypocrite, 
nay,  even  a  greater  sinner  than  he  was  before."  Thus  after 
the  most  immoral  life,  you  have  a  compendious  method  of 
saving  yourself  by  simply  believing,  that  your  sins  are  re- 
mitted through  the  merits  of  Christ.  As  to  his  sentiments  in 
regard  to  the  pope,  bishops,  councils,  &c.  hear  what  he  says  in 
the  preface  to  this  book  De  abrogamla  Missa  privata.  "  With 
how  many  powerful  remedies  and  most  evident  scriptures 
have  I  scarce  been  able  to  fortify  my  conscience  so,  as  to  dare 
alone  to  contradict  the  pope,  and  believe  him  to  be  Antichrist, 
the  bishops  his  apostles,  and  the  universities  his  brothel- 
houses."  In  his  book  De  judicio  Ecclesice  de  grani  doctrina : 
"  Christ  takes  from  the  bishops,  doctors,  and  councils,  both  the 
right  and  power  of  judging  controversies,  and  gives  them  to 
all  Christians  in  general."  Lastly,  hear  his  modest  censure 
on  the  Council  of  Constance  and  those  that  composed  it.  "  All 
John  Huss's  articles  w^ere  condemned  at  Constance  by  Anti- 
christ and  his  apostles,"  meaning  the  pope  and  bishops,  "  in 
that  synod  of  Satan,  made  up  of  most  wicked  sophisters  ;  and 
you,  most  holy  vicar  of  Christ,  I  tell  you  plainly  to  your  face, 
that  all  John  Huss's  condemned  doctrines  are  evangelical 
and  Christian,  but  all  yours  are  impious  and  diabolical." 
Many  more  instances  might  be  brought  of  the  head-re- 
former's extravagant  opinions  and  assertions,  but  these  may 
suffice. 

To  enumerate  the  errors  of  all  the  reformers  would  exceed 
the  limits  of  this  work,  I  shall  therefore  only  add  the  principal 
heads  of  the  doctrine  of  Calvin  and  the  Calvinists,  viz.   1. 
13 


146  HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

That  baptism  is  not  necessary  for  salvation.  2.  Likewise, 
good  works  are  not  necessary.  3.  Man  has  no  free  will.  4. 
Adam  could  not  avoid  his  fall.  5.  A  great  part  of  mankind 
are  created  to  be  damned,  independently  of  their  demerits.  6. 
Man  is  justified  by  faith  alone :  and  that  justification,  once 
obtained,  cannot  be  lost,  even  by  the  most  atrocious  crimes. 
7.  The  true  faithful  are  also  infallibly  certain  of  their  sal- 
vation. 8.  The  Eucharist  is  no  more  than  a  figure  of  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  Christ. — Thus  was  the  whole  system  ol 
faith  and  morality  overturned. 

The  above  short  detail  shows  a  palpable  reason  why  our 
modern  apostles  set  such  a  real  value  on  their  new  discovered 
principle  of  "  evangelical  liberty,"  as  it  opened  to  them  so 
spacious  a  lawn,  in  which  they  could  range  at  their  ease. 
The  hardships  of  mortification,  the  painful  restrictions  of 
penance,  were  not  to  be  admitted  into  the  Elysian  fields :  the 
sensual  appetities  claimed  here  their  right  abode.  All  Church 
authority  was  banished  from  this  realm  of  liberty.  They 
professed  themselves  judges  of  every  thing  relating  to  religion, 
and  its  foundations  and  fences  they  levelled  at  their  pleasure. 
Tradition  they  totally  abolished  ;  and  though  they  could  not 
reject  the  whole  canon  of  the  scriptures,  as  being  universally 
acknowledged  to  be  the  word  of  God,  they  had  however  the 
presumption  to  expunge  some  books  of  it  that  did  not  coincide 
with  their  own  opinions  :  and  the  rest  they  assumed  a  right  to 
explain  as  they  thought  fit.  Hence  followed  various  arbitrary 
explications  of  the  most  important  texts,  which  became  so  many 
fountains  that  issued  out  troubled  streams  of  doctrine.  But 
this  was  a  natural  consequence.  For,  if  a  man  consults  only 
himself;  his  passions  and  conceits  will  certainly  dictate  to  him 
what  may  serve  for  their  own  gratification,  and  which  must  of 
course  contradict  the  doctrine  of  revelation,  which  tends  to 
bridle  them.  What  wonder  then,  if  the  comments  and  glosses 
of  these  new  interpreters  have  so  m.uch  obscured  and  dis- 
figured the  face  of  religion  ?  Moreover,  to  complete  the  work, 
and  to  conciliate  people's  minds  more  easily  to  their  inno- 
vations, they  pretended  to  charge  the  old  doctrines  with  absur- 
dities and  errors,  as  if  Christ  had  suffered  his  Church  to  be 
totally  eclipsed  and  lost ;  whereas  he  had  told  his  apostles, 
and  in  them  their  successors,  the  pastors  of  his  church : 
"  Behold,  I  am  with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation 
of  the  world."  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  But  it  plainly  appeared 
that  the  objected  absurdities  and  errors  bad  no  reality,  and 
were  no  more  than  misrepresentations  contrived  on  purpose. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  147 

In  this  view  how  many  notorious  falsehoods  were  published, 
which  are  still  kept  up,  concerning  the  Catholic  worship  of 
relics  and  images,  concerning  confession  of  sins,  indulgences, 
purgatory,  &c.  ?  And  thus  again  they  endeavoured  to  throw 
a  cloud  over  the  face  of  the  Catholic  religion.  From  what 
has  been  said  it  appears  then  fully,  how  the  sun  and  the  air 
were  darkened  with  the  smoke  of  the  pit. 

"  And  from  the  smoke  of  the  pit  there  came  out  locusts 
upon  the  earth,"  ver.  3.  From  the  smoke  of  the  abyss  is 
generated  a  swarm  of  locusts  that  disperse  themselves  over  the 
earth  ;  the  meaning  of  which  is,  that  the  spirit  of  seduction 
denoted  by  the  smoke  of  the  abyss,  raised  up  a  number  of 
sectaries  or  reformers,  as  they  called  themselves,  who  spread 
themselves  into  all  parts  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Luther 
was  first  intoxicated  with  this  delusive  spirit,  which  presently 
after  insinuated  itself  into  Carlostadius,  Zuinglius,  Oecolam- 
padius,  Melancton,  Bucer,  Muncer,  Calvin,  Henry  VIII.  of 
England,  Cranmer,  and  many  others.  Being  of  the  nature  of 
locusts,  these  reformers  were  unconnected,  acknowledged  no 
subordination  among  themselves,  and  even  quarrelled  with 
one  another.  They  all  taught  different  doctrines,  and  scarce 
agreed  in  any  other  thing,  bat  in  their  endeavours  to  destroy 
the  ancient  faith,  and  corrupt  the  Christian  principles  of  mo- 
rality. In  this  indeed  they  jointly  exhibited  a '  vehement 
eagerness  equal  to  the  voracity  of  locusts.  "  Heretics  are 
compared  to  locusts,"  says  St.  Jerome,  "  because  locusts  are  a 
species  of  insects  extremely  hurtful  to  mankind,  as  they  occa- 
sion famine,  eat  up  the  harvest,  and  even  strip  the  trees  and 
the  vines."  In  cap.  13.  Osee.  The  new  doctrines,  being 
calculated  to  gratify  the  vicious  inclinations  of  the  human 
heart,  diffused  themselves  with  the  rapidity  of  an  inundation, 
Frederick,  elector  of  Saxony,  John  Frederick,  his  successor, 
and  Philip,  landgrave  of  Hesse,  became  Luther's  disciples, 
and  their  respective  states  followed  their  example.  Gustavus 
Ericus,  king  of  Sweden,  and  Christiern  III.,  king  of  Den- 
mark, declared  also  in  favour  of  Lulheranism.  It  likewise 
got  footing  in  Hungary,  and  spread  itself  by  degrees  into 
Brandenburg,  Pomerania,  Mecklenburgh,  Holstein,  &c.  Po- 
land, after  tasting  of  a  great  variety  of  doctrines,  could  pitch 
upon  none,  but  left  to  every  individual  the  liberty  of  choosing 
for  himself  Four  cantons  of  Switzerland  received  Zuin- 
glius's  Creed,  at  the  conference  held  at  Bern,  in  1528.  These 
cantons  afterwards  making  alliance  with  Geneva,  exchanged 
their  doctrine  for  that  of  Calvin.     And  now  of  the  thirteen 


148  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

cantons,  that  compose  the  states  of  Switzerland,  six  of  them 
are  protestant.  Munccr,  a  disciple  of  Luther,  deserting  from 
his  master,  set  up  for  doctor  himself,  and  with  Nicholas 
Stark  gave  birth  to  the  sect  of  anabaptists,  which  was  propa- 
gated in  Suabia  and  other  provinces  of  Germany,  in  the  Low 
Countries,  &c.  Calvin,  a  man  of  bold  obstinate  spirit,  artful 
and  indefatigable  in  his  labours,  in  imitation  of  Luther,  com- 
menced also  reformer.  He  procured  his  new  tenets  to  be 
received  at  Geneva  in  1541.  After  his  death  the  same  doc- 
trine was  carried  on  by  his  successor  Beza,  and  it  made  its 
way  into  several  provinces  of  France,  where  its  professors 
obtained  the  appellation  of  H\iguenots.  It  insinuated  itself  into 
some  parts  of  Germany,  Hungary,  Bohemia,  and  became  the 
established  religion  of  Holland.  Calvinism  was  also  im- 
ported by  John  Knox  into  Scotland,  where,  under  the  name  of 
presbyterianism,  it  took  deep  root,  and  overspread  the  whole 
face  of  that  kingdom.  In  fine,  to  such  a  degree  prevailed  the 
licentious  spirit  of  dogm.atizing,  that  every  one  thought  he  had 
an  equal  right  with  Luther,  Zuinglius,  or  any  other,  to  inter- 
pret the  scriptures,  and  form  his  own  creed.  On  this  princi- 
ple the  different  sects  split  into  a  multitude  of  parties,  following 
different  heads,  who  every  day  coined  new  religions.  Thus, 
the  body  of  anabaptists  alone  becam?  divided  into  at  least 
thirty-two  different  sects.  By  these  divisions  the  principal 
leaders  found  themselves  frustrated  in  the  attachment  of  their 
proselytes,  who  upon  every  occasion  left  them  to  follow  new 
teachers.  Though  this  defection  was  no  more  than  they 
themselves  had  given  example  of,  in  relinquishing  the  faith  of 
their  ancestors  and  the  Catholic  communion,  they  were  never- 
theless greatly  mortified  at  it,  and  published  their  complaints. 
Such  was  even  the  case  with  Luther,  the  great  author  and 
patriarch  of  the  reformation ;  and  he  resented  so  much  the 
freedom  taken  by  Carlostadius,  Oecolampadius,  and  Zuin- 
glius, in  preaching  a  diHerent  doctrine  from  his  own,  that  he 
reviled  them,  according  to  "his  custom,  in  the  most  virulent 
terms.  Some  time  after,  when  the  reforming  spirit  had  almost 
reached  its  full  growth,  thus  wrote  Dudithiiis,  a  learned  pro- 
testant divine,  in  his  epistle  to  Beza.  "  What  sort  of  people 
are  our  protestants,  straggling  to  and  fro,  and  carried  about 
with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  sometimes  to  this  side,  sometimes 
to  that  ?  You  may  perhaps  know  what  their  sentiments  in 
matters  of  religion  are  to-day :  but  you  can  never  certainly  tell 
what  they  will  be  to-morrow.  In  what  article  of  religion  do 
these  churches  agree  which  have  cast  ofl'the  bishop  of  Rome? 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  149 

Examine  all  from  top  to  bottom,  and  you  will  scarce  find  one 
thing  affirmed  by  one,  which  was  not  immediately  condemned 
by  another  for  wicked  doctrine."  ThS  same  confusion  of 
opinions  was  described  by  an  English  protestant,  the  learned 
Dr.  Walton,  about  the  middle  of  last  century,  in  his  preface 
to  his  polyglott,  where  he  says,  "  Aristarchus  heretofore 
could  scarce  find  seven  wise  men  in  Greece ;  but  with  us, 
scarce  are  to  be  found  so  many  idiots.  For  all  are  doctors, 
all  are  divinely  learned ;  there  is  not  so  much  as  the  meanest 
fanatic  or  jackpudding,  who  does  not  give  you  his  own  dreams 
for  the  word  of  God." 

But  among  the  reformed  nations  none  drank  more  deeply 
of  the  cup  of  error,  than  England.  This  country  had  been, 
during  many  centuries,  conspicuous  in  the  Christian  world 
for  the  orthodoxy  of  its  belief,  as  also  for  the  number  of  saints 
it  had  sent  to  heaven.  But  by  a  misfortune  never  to  be  suffi- 
ciently lamented,  and  by  unfathomable  judgment  from  above, 
its  Cliurch  shared  a  fate  which  seemed  the  least  to  threaten 
it.  The  lust  and  avarice  of  one  despotic  sovereign  threw 
down  the  fair  edifice,  and  tore  it  off  from  the  rock  on  which  it 
had  hitherto  stood.  Henry  VIII.,  at  first  a  valiant  asserter  of 
the  Catholic  faith  against  Luther,  giving  way  to  the  violent 
passions  which  he  had  not  resolution  to  curb,  renounced  the 
supreme  jurisdiction  which  the  pope  had  always  held  in  the 
Church,  presumed  to  arrogate  to  himself  that  power  in  his 
own  dominions,  and  thus  gave  a  deadly  blow  to  religion.     He 

then  forced  his  subiects  into  the  same  fatal  defection,  and  thus 
opened  the  way  to  his  successors  to  poui  lu  ^p...  .      , 

the  whole  spirit  of  the  reformation.  Once  mtroduced  it  soon 
overspread  the  land.  Being,  from  its  nature,  limited  by  no 
fixed  principle,  but  depending  upon  the  arbitrary  detetmination  • 
of  every  private  man,  it  has  since  taken  a  hundred  different 
shapes,  in  Protestants,  Presbyterians,  Anabaptists,  Gluakers, 
Arians,  Moravians,  Hutchinsonians,  Methodists,  and  many 
more.  Such  was  the  swarm  of  locusts  that  eclipsed  the  face 
of  religion,  which  had  long  shone  so  bright  in  that  island. 

In  takincr  a  general  view  of  the  infinite  variety  of  new 
teachers  that  sprung  up  at  this  time,  jarring  among  them- 
selves, corrupting  the  genuine  sources  of  faith  and  morals, 
and  deluding  their  fellow-creatures  with  poisonous  novelties 
one  cannot  help  observing  with  how  great  propriety  they  had 
been  long  before  described  by  the  Apostle  St.  Jude  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner:  "  These  are  clouds  without  water  which 
are  carried  about  by  winds;  trees  of  the  autumn,  unfruitful, 
13* 


150  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots ;  raging-  waves  of  the  sea, 
foaming  out  their  ow^n  confusion  ;  wandering  stars."  Epist. 
12,  13.  They  are  first  compared  to  clouds  without  water,  or 
that  promise  water,  but  are  carried  about  by  winds  without 
giving  any ;  that  is,  these  new  teachers  promise  genuine  apos- 
tolical doctrine,  which  they  call  reformation,  but  it  is  mere  de- 
ceit. They  are  termed  autumnal  trees,  unfruitful,  twice  dead, 
plucked  up  by  the  roots,  that  is,  they  are  become  barren  Chris- 
tians, bringing  forth  no  fruit,  twice  dead  by  the  want  of  faith 
and  morality.  Like  dead  trees  plucked  up  from  the  earth, 
they  are  banished  out  of  the  Church,  from  which  they  ought  to 
receive  their  spiritual  life  and  nourishment.  They  are  like 
the  raging  weaves  of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own  confusion  : 
they  are  turbulent,  proud,  rebellious  against  their  mother,  the 
Church,  which  they  furiously  assault  with  slander,  calumny, 
and  blasphemy.  Lastly,  like  wandering  stars,  they  wander 
about  in  mazes  of  imaginary  knoAvledge,  passing  from  one 
error  to  another  without  knowing  where  to  fix  their  steps. 

"  And  power  was  given  to  them,  (the  locusts,)  as  the  scor- 
pions of  the  earth  have  power,"  ver.  3.  These  locusts  have 
peculiar  qualities,  not  to  be  found  in  the  common  locusts. 
They  have  the  power  of  scorpions,  that  is,  a  power  of  sting- 
ing. This  allegory  shows,  that  the  reformed  sects,  here  sig- 
nified by  the  locusts,  were  empowered,  by  the  divine  permis- 
sion, to  sting  or  violently  to  torment  those  of  the  Catholic 
communion,  whom  they  had  left,  and  against  whom  they 
conceived  and  still  retain  a  rancorous  animosity. 

"  And  it   w»<=,^—       "-;:'  ;"^''''  ^^^^  locusts.)  that  they 
_      -  ..ul  n\irt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  nor  any  green  thincr 
nor  any  tree,   but  only  the  men  who  have  not  k  sign  Sf 
God  on  their  foreheads,"   ver.  4.      The  locusts,  or  the  sects  of 
Protestants,  are  not  allowed  by  Almighty  God  to  hurt  the  crrass 
of  the  earth,  that  is,  the  whole  body  of  the  common  faithful  • 
nor  every  green  thing,  as  the  Greek  and   Latin  texts  express 
lU  that  is,  not  all  the  vegetable  greens  that  shoot  up  higher 
than  the  grass,  denoting  the  princes,  magistrates,  and  others 
superior  m  dignity  to  the  commonalty  ;  nor  are  thev  allowed 
to  hurt  every  tree,  or  all  the  pastors  with  their  clergy      In 
fuVVI^  "°^  permitted  to  pervert  the  whole  of  any  of 
the  three  different  classes  of  the  faithful,  namely,  minister^  of 
re  igion  or  tne  clergy,  the  princes  and  persons  and  civil  dig- 
nity,  and  the  common  people.  ^ 

The  expression  however  of  all  or  every  one  indicates  that 
some  of  all  these  sorts  will  be  ensnared.     In  general,  they 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  151 

will  not  be  allowed  to  seduce  any  others  of  the  Church's 
members,  but  those  who  have  not  the  sign  of  God  on  their 
foreheads,  that  is,  those  who  are  not  solidly  fixed  in  their  faith 
and  morals,  but  suffer  themselves  to  be  influenced,  by  their 
passions,  by  worldly  views  or  pleasures,  and  who  consequently 
have  not  courage  to  withstand  the  temptation,  nor  to  fight 
under  the  banner  of  religion.  These  have  not  the  sign  of 
God  on  their  foreheads :  they  cowardly  give  up  this  charac- 
teristic sign,  the  Cross  of  Christ,  with  its  persecutions,  self- 
denials,  and  mortification  :  they  go  over  to  their  enemies  who 
seduced  them,  and  from  them  learn  to  have  a  horror  of  im- 
printing that  salutary  mark  on  their  foreheads,  which  was  so 
much  the  practice  of  antiquity,  as  Tertullian  informs  us. 
"  At  every  step,"  says  he,  "  whencA'^er  we.  come  in  or  go  out, 
when  we  put  on  our  clothes  or  shoes,  when  we  wash,  when 
we  sit  down  to  table,  when  we  light  a  candle,  when  we  go  to 
bed — we  imprint  on  our  foreheads  the  sign  of  the  cross." — 
hib.  de  Coro7i.  Milit.  c.  3. 

From  the  present  texts  of  the  apocalypse  under  our  con- 
sideration, it  appears  then  that,  though  Almighty  God,  in  the 
unsearchable  ways  of  his  wisdom,  allows  the  protestant  sects 
to  have  a  certain  degree  of  power,  yet  in  his  goodness  he  puts 
a  bridle  to  this  power,  and  prescribes  to  it  determinate  limits, 
lest  it  should  over-run  too  great  a  part  of  Christ's  kingdom. 
"  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come  and  shalt  go  no  further,  and  here 
thou  shalt   break  thy  swelling  waves."     Job  c.  38.  v.  11. 
Mahometanism  and  the  Greek  schism  had  already  torn  away 
a  largo  br.^^-  ^^  ^^-^  ndthr^Wr  rornmunitv  ;  but  the  supreme 
Ruler  of  the  universe  had  promised,  tMi  ^ix.o  ^.^.^       ^ 
St  md  as  visible  as  if  seated  on  a  mountain,*  and  that  hell  itselt 
should-not  prevail  against  it.f     These  assurances  are  a  se- 
cure bulwark  to  it,  and  though  the  Sovereign  Disposer  has 
permitted  the  new  generated  poison  of  the  present  age  to 
infect  some  part  of  his  church,  the  greater  part  is  preserved 
sound  and  untainted,  and  shines  forth  with  brighter  lustre  to 
the  world.     Many  large  countries  rejected  the  reformation 
and  steadfastly  adhered  to  the  ancient  faith,  and  even  m  most 
of  those  kingdoms,  which  adopted  the  innovation,  there  are 
still  remaining,  by  the  providence  of  God  some  that  refuse  to 
bow  their  knees  to  Baal;  and  though  few,  like  grapes  remain- 
ino-  after  the  vintage,  they  stand  as  a  testimony  against  the 
others  who  ought  to  have  maintained  the  same  truth  with  them. 
Besides  the  above-mentioned  particulars,  we  ought  not  to 
♦  Isaias,  c.  2.  V.  2.    Dan.  c.  2.  v.  35.    +  Matt.  c.  16.  v.  18. 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

overlook  another  check,  which  has  been  put  upon  the  efforts 
of  the  reformation.  While  powerful  princes  and  great  ar- 
mies undertook  to  propagate  the  protestant  religion,  the 
Almighty  thought  fit  to  interpose,  and  gave  to  the  Catholic 
powers  sufficient  strength  to  oppose  the  invasion,  and  has 
ever  since  supported  them  in  such  manner  as  to  make  them 
a  match  against  their  enemies. 

"And  it  was  given  unto  them,  (the  locusts,)  that  they 
should  not  kill  them ;  but  that  they  should  torment  them  five 
months ;  and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion 
when  he  strikes  a  man,"  v.  5.  Here  is  a  second  curb  put 
upon  the  power  of  the  reformed  societies.  In  the  last  article 
we  saw,  that  their  power  of  seducing  others  to  embrace  their 
doctrine  was  confined  to  those  who  had  not  the  sign  of  God 
on  their  foreheads,  or  who  by  their  depravity  or  bad  disposi- 
tions lay  open  to  such  seductions. 

Such  was  the  extent  of  their  power  in  the  spiritual  way. 

Here  the  boundary  of  their  temporal  power  is  fixed. 

They  are  not  permitted  to  kill  them,  that  is,  utterly  to  destroy 
and  exterminate  the  Catholics. 

In  the  first  heat  of  the  reformation,  such  was  the  violence 
of  the  protestants,  that  they  breathed  nothing  less  than  war 
and  destruction.  In  their  progress  they  murdered  great 
numbers  of  the  Catholics,  demolished  their  churches  and 
monasteries,  and  carried  devastation  through  the  land.  Rut 
the  Almighty  in  his  eternal  wisdom,  had  resolved  to  restrain 
their   power,    and   by   his  apostle  St.  John   had  long  affo 


published  his  decree' contnjr>o^  '-|/^r  r';"^'^"'-  itJAt,  ihat  they 
J^      ,, ,  ^.^.v.^u  Deyond  the  limits  which  he  had  fixed 

Their  expectations  were  consequently  frustrated, and thev were 
JtilV-  'li  ^'T  "^^  ^^^^  "^^^"^  of  conquest'than  th Jy  had 
rnTl.  .  f '''  '^""-K^'-  ^"  ^  similar  manner,  Almihtv 
God  had  often  permitted  his  favourite  people  the  Jews  to  be 

but  heir  "T'Ti  ^^  '^'.  ^'''^^^  '^^^'-  ^i^-"^  -er^iet 
but  he  never  suffered  them  to  be  extinguished 

fJ""  .      •  ^-^Pt"e"ce  shows  that,  notwithstanding  the  pro- 
testant princes  have  taken  such  pains  to  extirpate  the  Cathol 
religion  m  their  respective  states,  they  have  not  been  abl 


10 


e  to 


compass  .t.     The  Catholics  have  been  grievously  oppressed 
and  many  even  put  to  death ;  nevertheless,  though  much  S 

ttyltiu  .hr;sut;^t°^^  •^""^'''^  '^  "^^  '--^  p--'- 
.r  t'\h:m%eix%i'ti"rit' }!srmt!t! 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  153 

is  expressed  in  the  subsequent  words:  and  their  torment  was 
as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion  when  he  strikes  a  man.  Cer- 
tainly a  very  sharp  torment  or  pain,  to  be  like  that  occasioned 
by  the  sting  of  a  scorpion.  This  comparison  shows  plainly, 
that  though  the  power  of  the  protestants  was  limited  by  the 
providence  of  God,  they  were  nevertheless  allowed  to  molest 
and  bitterly  persecute  those  of  the  Catholic  communion. 
They  were  restrained,  as  we  have  just  now  seen,  from  exter- 
minating" the  body  of  the  Catholics,  but  by  their  persecutions, 
seditions,  and  wars,  they  cut  off  many,  and  the  rest  were  made 
to  suffer  extreme  hardships  and  miseries.  In  those  countries, 
where  the  sovereigns  embraced  the  reformation,  they  general- 
ly seized  upon  the  revenues  of  the  Church,  and  thus  reduced 
the  clergy  to  the  pinching  anguishes  of  want.  The  bulk  of 
the  Catholics  were  forced  to  adopt  the  religion  of  their  princes, 
or  fly  their  native  country,  or  in  fine  be  doomed  to  lie  under 
the  most  heavy  oppression.  Are  not  these  sufferings  well 
compared  to  the  sting  of  a  scorpion  ?  Besides,  who  is  igno- 
rant of  the  cruel  persecuting  laws,  that  were  in  those  times 
enacted  in  most  of  the  Protestant  states  against  the  Catholic 
religion?  Among  the  rest,  who  is  not  acquainted  with  the 
severe  laws  of  England  and  Ireland  ?  They  are  such,  as  to 
be  owned  by  those  of  their  own  people  who  have  a  sense  of 
humanity,  to  be  barbarous,  to  be  a  scandal  to  the  Christian 
religion,  and  a  disgrace  to  civilized  nations.  In  consequence 
of  these  statutes,  how  many  persons  have  been  stripped  of  their 
estates  ?  How  many  individuals  have  been  imprisoned,  ba- 
nished, even  put  to  death?  How  many  families  have  been 
reduced  to  beggary,  and  ruined  ?  Are  not  such  hardships 
and  oppressions  to  be  deemed  severe,  and  as  acute  in  the  pain 
they  cause,  as  the  stinging  of  a  scorpion? 

It  is  said,  this  torture  was  to  last  five  months.  Here  the 
Almighty  prescribes  a  term  to  that  great  severity  the  Pro- 
testants were  permitted  to  exercise  against  the  true  servants  of 
God.  This  term  is  five  months,  or  one  hundred  and  fifty 
days,  giving  thirty  days  to  ever}'-  month,  which  way  of 
reckoning  by  round  numbers  is  usual  with  the  prophets. 
But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  days  in  the  prophetic  style  are 
sometimes  used  for  years.  Thus  it  is  in  that  celebrated  pro- 
phecy in  Daniel  of  seventy  weeks,  or  four  hundred  and  ninety 
days,  understood  by  all  the  interpreters  to  mean  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years,  which  were  to  run  from  the  term  mentioned 
in  that  prophecy  to  the  death  of  Christ  the  Messiah.  Dan.  ix. 
24.     Another  instance  of  the  same  way  of  reckoning  occurs 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

in  the  book  of  Ezecliiel,  where  God  speaks  to  that  prophet  in 
this  manner:  "Thou  shak  take  upon  thee  the  iniquity  of 
the  house  of  Juda  for  forty  days.  A  day  for  a  year,  yea,  a 
day  for  a  year  I  have  appointed  to  thee."  Ezek..  iv.  6.  On 
this  principle  therefore,  as  the  space  of  five  months,  taken 
according  to  the  common  acceptation,  gives  too  short  a  period 
to  comprise  all  the  transactions  mentioned  in  our  text  con- 
cerning the  reformation,  we  shall  count  one  hundred  and  "fifty 
years  for  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  days  contained  in  five 
months ;  during  which  time  the  locusts  were  empowered  to 
sting,  that  is,  the  Protestants  were  allowed  to  torment  so  rigo- 
rously the  Catholics.  If  then  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
be  counted  from  the  year  1525,  about  which  time  those  vio- 
lences began  to  take  place,  they  will  bring  ns  to  the  year 
1675.  Some  part  of  the  history  of  the  reformation  relating  to 
this  period  has  been  presented  to  us  in  the  preceding  texts, 
and  the  rest  will  appear,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  in  subse- 
quent verses  of  our  prophetic  author. 

"  And  in  those  days  men  shall  seek  death,  and  shall  not 
find  it ;  and  they  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  fly  from 
them,"  V.  6.  Here  is  a  lively  picture  of  the  extreme  miseries, 
that  the  Catholics  suffered  in  consequence  of  the  violence  and 
fury  with  which  the  reformation  was  carried  on.  And  does 
not  the  history  of  those  times  evince  the  truth  of  it  ?  On  one 
side,  many  finding  themselves  rifled  and  stripped  of  all  that 
belonged  to  them,  actuated  by  the  sting  of  misery,  equal  to 
that  of  the  scorpion,  took  up  arms  to  recover  by  force  what 
they  could  not  hope  for  by  any  other  means.  The  poor  and 
distressed  also,  who  received  their  subsistence  from  the  chari- 
table and  constant  liberalities  of  the  monasteries,  being  de- 
prived of  all  resource  by  the  dissolution  of  those  houses, 
drew  courage  from  despair, 

Una  salus  victis  nullum  sperare  salutem Virgil. 

Despair  of  life,  the  means  of  living  shows Dryden. 

and  fled  to  arms,  though  unjustifiably,  and  joining  with  the 
others,  sought  for  death  in  battle,  rather  than  die  by  hunger, 
though  perhaps  it  was  not  their  lot  to  find  that  death. 

Likewise  how  miserable  was  the  condition  of  that  multi- 
tude of  religious  people  of  both  sexes,  who  were  ejected  from 
their  houses,  and  robbed  of  all  their  possessions!  They  had 
abandoned  the  world,  and  consecrated  themselves  to  God  in 
solitary  retreats.  Unacquainted  with  manual  labour,  and 
•unaccustomed  to  every  art  of  providing  subsistence,  they 
solely  attended  to  the  service  of  God,  and  to  the  preparing 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH  155 

themselves  for  another  world,  depending-  entirely  for  the  sup- 
port of  present  life  on  the  pious  benefactions  of  those  persons, 
who  to  promote  the  divine  worship  and  all  the  heroic  virtues 
of  the  Christian  religion,  had  endowed  those  houses  with 
suitable  revenues.  But  now  a  storm,  like  a  hurricane,  rose 
and  burst  upon  them.  One  would  have  thought  that  an  army 
of  Goths  or  Danes  had  invaded  the  land.  The  recluses  saw 
themselves  assaulted  by  brutish  ruffians,  and  forcibl}^  driven 
out  of  their  sanctuaries.  They  saw  their  churches  violated, 
together  with  their  houses  plundered  and  pulled  down  to  the 
ground.  Thus  were  those  ancient  nurseries  of  piety  and 
learning  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins :  a  lasting  monument 
of  the  spirit  that  guided  the  reformation.  Such  were  the 
extravagances  of  fanaticism  and  violence  at  that  period,  that 
not  a  few  were  scandalized  even  of  those  who  favoured  the 
change  of  religion.*  Thus,  for  instance,  Sir  John  Denham, 
speaking  of  the  demolition  of  monasteries  in  England,  cries 
out : 

Who  sees  these  dismal  heaps,  but  will  demand, 
What  barbarous  invader  sack'd  the  land  ! 
But  when  he  hears,  no  Goth,  no  Turk,  did  bring 
This  desolation,  but  a  Christian  king; 
When  nothing  but  the  name  of  zeal  appears 
'Twixt  our  best  actions,  and  the  worst  of  theirs, 
VVhat  does  he  think  our  sacrilege  would  spare. 
Since  these  th'  effects  of  our  devotion  are. 

Cooper's  Hill. 

Let  us  hear  another  protestant  writer:  "England  sate 
weeping,"  says  Camden,  "  to  see  her  \vealth  exhausted,  her 
coin  debased,  and  her  abbeys  demolished,  which  were  the 
monuments  of  ancient  piety."  Introd.  to  the  Annals  of  Glueen 
Eliz. 

By  such  inhuman  proceedings  a  great  number  of  religious 
men  and  women  saw  themselves  stripped  of  evrey  commodity 
of  life.  They  saw  themselves  exposed  to  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather,  to  the  distresses  of  want,  to  the  insults  of  an  in- 
solent populace  worked  up  to  enthusiasm ;  in  fine,  they  found 
themselves  turned  out  into  a  wide  world,  without  knowing 
which  wav  to  direct  their  steps.  What  wonder,  if  in  this 
destitute  forlorn  condition  they  should  rather  desire  to  die, 
than  drag  on  so  wretched  a  life  ?  Had  the  executioner 
been  sent  instead  of  a  commissioner,  and  required  the  lives 
of  all  those  who  refused  to  sacrifice  their  conscience  to  the 
new  religion,  they  would  have  esteemed  themselves  happy  in 

♦  See  Stowe's  Annals,  Fuller's  and  Collier's  Church  Histories. 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

acquiring  the  crown  of  martyrdom.  But  to  be  exposed  to  all 
sorts  of  temptations,  to  lasting  wretchedness,  and  to  see  the 
Church  of  God  trampled  under  foot,  were  more  cruel  afflic- 
tions to  them  than  death.  These  however  they  were  con- 
demned to  bear,  and  to  be  deprived  of  the  blessing  of  giving 
up  their  lives.  They  desired  to  die,  and  death  fled  from 
them. 

"  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses  pre- 
pared unto  battle,"  v.  7.  Here  is  expressed  the  spirit  of 
sedition  and  rebellion  that  animated  the  reformers  and  their 
proselytes.  Luther  proclaimed  himself  the  leader  in  this  as 
well  as  other  articles  of  the  new  discipline,  and  he  levelled 
his  first  attacks  against  the  Church.  He  set  out  with  in- 
veighing against  all  Church  government,  he  declaimed 
against  the  clergy,  and  especially  against  the  superiority  of 
the  pope,  though  but  a  little  before  he  had  professe-d  all  obe- 
dience to  him.  Having  gained  for  disciple  and  protector, 
John  Frederick,  elector  of  Saxony,  he  kept  no  further  mea- 
sures, but  declared  open  war  against  the  bishops,  and  the 
whole  ecclesiastic  order.  In  his  rage,  he  composed  a  book 
on  the  subject,  in  which  he  said,  "  All  those  w^ho  will  ven- 
ture their  lives,  their  estates,  their  honour  and  their  blood,  in 
so  Christian  a  work,  as  to  root  out  all  bishopricks  and 
bishops,  who  are  the  ministers  of  Satan,  and  to  pluck  up  by 
the  roots  all  their  authority  and  jurisdiction  in  the  world: 
these  persons  are  the  true  children  of  God,  and  obey  his  com- 
mandments." Contra  statum  Ecclesice.  et  falso  nominatuvi 
ordintm  Episcoporum.  Again,  in  his  book  against  Sylvester 
Prieras.  "  If,"  says  he,  "  we  despatch  thieves  by  the  gallows, 
highwaymen  by  the  sword,  heretics  by  fire ;  why  do  we  not 
rather  attack  with  all  kinds  of  arms  these  masters  of  perdi- 
tion, these  cardinals,  these  popes,  and  all  this  sink  of  the 
Romish  Sodom,  which  corrupts  without  ceasing  the  Church  of 
God,  and  wash  our  hands  in  their  blood."  Thus  preached 
the  new  religionist,  nor  did  he  cease,  till  he  got  the  bishops 
expelled  from  Saxony,  and  Hesse,  and  their  authority  extin- 
guished. 

Not  content  with  having  thrown  ofT  contemptuously  the 
spiritual  authority  of  the  pope,  the  bishops,  and  of  the  whole 
Church,  Luther  next  attempted  to  subvert  the  temporal  power 
of  princes.  The  new  teachers  totally  difTered  from  the  pri- 
mitive preachers  of  the  gospel.  These,  during  their  whole 
ministry,  had  before  their  eyes  the  charge  which  Christ  gave 
to  his  apostles.     "  Behold,  I   send  you,"  said  he,  "  as  sheep 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  157 

in  the  midst  of  wolves."  Matt.  x.  16.  Which  they  all  under- 
stood as  an  order  to  preserve  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of 
sheep,  whatever  wolves  or  persecutors  they  might  meet  with. 
And  this  rule  they  invariably  followed.  But  Luther,  though 
at  first  he  professed  an  aversion  to  violence,  finding  the  way  of 
patience  did  not  succeed,  soon  altered  his  maxims.  The  gospel, 
he  then  said,  and  the  rest  of  the  reformers  said  the  same  after 
him,  "  the  gospel  has  always  caused  disturbances,  and  blood 
is  requisite  for  its  establishment."  De  serv.  arb.  When 
therefore  he  had  done  as  much  as  he  was  able,  to  abolish  the 
clergy,  canon  law,  and  the  universities,  he  then  proceeded  to 
attack  the  emperor  and  temporal  princes,  both  by  his  writings 
and  preaching.  "  You  must  know,"  said  he,  "  that  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  to  this  day,  it  has  ever  been  a  rare 
thing  to  find  a  wise  prince ;  but  more  rare  to  find  one  that 
was  honest :  for  commonly  they  are  the  greatest  fools  and 
knaves  in  the  world."  De  Sasculari  Potest.  Again  :  "  You 
must  know,  my  g-ood  lords,"  said  he,  "  that  God  will  have  it 
so,  that  your  subjects  neither  can,  nor  will,  nor  ought  any 
longer  to  endure  your  tyrannical  governments."  Contra 
Ricsficus.  Nay,  even  he  could  not  refrain  from  expressing 
the  same  contempt  and  rebellious  disposition  towards  his  own 
patron,  and  protector,  John  Frederick,  elector  of  Saxony ; 
having  been  slighted,  as  he  thought,  by  his  highness.  "  If  it 
is  lawful  for  me,"  said  Luther,  "  for  the  sake  of  Christian  li- 
berty, not  only  to  neglect,  but  to  trample  under  my  feet  the 
pope's  decrees,  the  canons  of  councils,  the  laws  and  man- 
dates of  the  emperor  himself,  and  of  all  princes ;  think  you, 
I  shall  value  your  orders  so  much  as  to  take  them  for  laws  ?" 
Contra  Amhr.  Catharin. 

These  sorts  of  lessons  found  easy  entrance  into  the  minds 
of  people,  who  had  already  drunk  plentifully  of  the  spirit  of 
"  Evangelical  liberty."  Their  dispositions  were  soured  and 
worked  up  by  this  inflammatory  doctrine  of  their  ministers 
to  such  a  degree,  that  they  were  ready  for  any  enterprise  of 
sedition  and  rebellion.  Erasmus  thus  describes  them :  "  I 
saw  them  come  forth  from  their  sermons  with  fierce  looks 
and  threatening  countenances,"  like  men  "that  just  come 
from  hearing  bloody  invectives  and  seditious  speeches."  Ac- 
cordingly we  found  "these  evangelical  people  always  ready 
to  rise  up  in  arms,  and  equally  as  good  at  fighting  as  at  dis- 
puting." How  diflerent  is  this  spirit  from  that  of  the  first 
ages  of  Christianity  !  The  faithful  then  learned  from  the 
apostles  and  their  successors  no  other  doctrine,  but  the  doc- 
14 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHITRCH. 

trine  of  patience,  humility,  meekness,  obedience  to  the  sore* 
reign  powers ;  and  these  lessons  they  invariably  adhered  to. 
They  said:  "  Our  hopes  are  not  fixed  on  the  present  world, 
and  therefore  we  make  no  resistance  to  the  executioner  that 
comes  to  strike  us."  S.  Justin.  ApoL  2.  ad  In/per.  Anion, 
pium.  They  said,  "  We  adore  one  only  God,  but  in  all  othti 
things  we  cheerfully  obey  you,"  the  emperors.  Ibid.  They 
said  again :  "  We  Christians  pray  to  God,  that  he  may  graEl 
to  the  emperors  a  long  life,  a  peaceable  reign,  safety  at  home, 
victorious  arms,  a  faithful  senate,  virtuous  subjects,  universal 
peace,  and  every  thing  that  a  man  and  emperor  can  desire." 
Tcrtul.  Apol.  In  fine,  the  heats  occasioned  by  Luther's  sedi- 
tious doctrine  were  so  much  fomented  and  increased  by  his 
disciples  and  other  new  reformers,  that  they  soon  kindled  into 
a  flame.  The  peasants  in  Germany  rose  up  in  arms,  flocked 
together,  and,  like  horses  prepared  unto  war,  they  proceeded 
in  a  body,  carrying  devastation  through  the  provinces  of  Sua- 
bia,  Franconia,  and  Alsatia,  and  Tansacked*many  of  the  im- 
perial towns.  The  ringleaders  of  this  multitude,  chiefly  com- 
posed of  Anabaptists,  were  JVluncer  and  Phifl^er.  Muncer 
pretended  he  had  received  from  God  "the  sw^ord  of  Gedeon/' 
in  order  to  depose  idolatrous  magistrates,  and  to  compel  the 
world  to  acknowledge  the  new  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ. 
These  fanatic  insurgents  in  their  progress  plundered  and 
burned  churches,  monasteries  and  castles,  killed  priests  monks 
and  noblemen.  The  elector  of  Saxony  and  other  princes, 
to  put  a  stop  to  these  disorders  and  desolations,  confederated 
together,  and  joining  their  forces,  cut  off"  and  dispersed  some 
parties  of  the  rebels,  and  defeated  the  chief  body  of  them  at 
Frankhusen  with  great  slaughter  in  1525.  Muncer  and 
Phiffer,  the  chiefs,  being  taken,  were  executed  a  few  days 
after. 

No  part  of  the  German  empire  was  free  from  these  tu- 
mults. The  people  were  universally  intoxicated  with  the 
notion  of  reforming  religion,  and  bent  upon  removing  such 
magistrates  as  would  not  conform  to  their  new  systems.  At 
Erford  they  degraded  and  secured  all  the  officers  of  the  town. 
At  Frankfort,  after  having  pillaged  the  churches,  and  banish- 
ed the  clergy,  they  expelled  the  old  senators,  committed  the 
government  of  the  city  to  twenty-four  commoners,  and  made 
a  new  set  of  laws,  composed  from  the  doctrine  of  Luther. 
Thfeir  brethren  in  Cologne,  Mentz,  and  Triers,  had  also 
taken  up  arms  for  the  same  purpose,  but  failed  in  their  at- 
tempts.    Such  were  the  extremes  of  licentiousness  the  people 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  159 

proceeded  to  at  this  period,  from  their  new  conceived  notion 
of  "  liberty,"  that  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  found  it  very  dilii- 
cult  to  stem  the  torrent,  nor  could  he  effectually  compass  it 
till  many  years  after.  These  transactions  may  be  seen  more 
at  large  in  Sleidan,  Cochiaeus,  and  other  historians. 

The  Lutherans  of  Germany,  who  received  the  name  of 
Protestants,  from  their  protesting  against  a  decree  made  in 
favour  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  the  diet  held  at  Spires  in 
1529,  drew  up  in  opposition  to  it,  their  confession  of  faith, 
called  the  Augsburg  Confession,  and  entered  into  a  league  of- 
fensive and  defensive  at  Smalstald  against  the  Emperor  and 
Catholic  princes  of  Germany.  Luther  had  sounded  the 
trumpet  of  war,  and  set  all  Germany  in  a  flame.  The  heads 
of  this  formidable  league  were,  the  Electors  of  Saxony  and 
Brandenburgh,  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  the  Dukes  of  Wir- 
temburg  and  Lunenburg,  and  the  Prince  of  Anhalt.  Allured 
by  the  boundless  liberty  and  enjoyment  of  the  Church  pos- 
sessions, which  they  acquired  by  the  reformation,  they  re- 
solved to  secure  them  by  the  point  of  the  sword.  They  there- 
fore assembled  troops,  and  brought  into  the  field  an  army  of 
seventy  thousand  men,  commanded  by  the  Elector  of  Saxony 
and  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  and  a  hundred  and  twelve 
pieces  of  cannon.  Some  other  German  princes,  besides  the 
above-mentioned,  either  joined  them  personally,  or  sent  them 
forces.  They  likewise  received  succours  from  the  imperial 
towns  of  Augsburgh,  Ulm,  Strasburgh,  and  Frankfort.  Thus 
they  were  prepared  to  depose  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  and  to 
extirpate  from  Germany  the  Catholic  faith,  which  had  been 
the  established  religion  of  the  empire  for  many  ages  past. 
The  eyes  of  all  Europe  were  intent  upon  the  issue  of  this 
war.  The  emperor  with  a  much  smaller  army  marched 
with  resolution  against  them,  engaged  them  near  the  Elbe, 
and  gained  a  complete  victory  in  1547.  The  two  generals, 
the  Elector  of  Saxony  and  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  were 
taken  prisoners.  Thus  was  the  Catholic  religion  secured  in  the 
empire,  and  Protestantism,  though  checked,  kept  its  ground. 

A  similar  scene  was  acted  in  Switzerland,  where  Zuin- 
glius  had  introduced  the  reformation,  as  we  have  already  re- 
lated. The  reformed  cantons,  not  content  with  having  them- 
selves adopted  Zuinglianism,  would  also  force  it  upon  the 
other  cantons  that  remained  Catholic.  This  occasioned  a 
war  to  ensue,  and  a  battle  was  fought,  in  which  the  Protest- 
ants were  defeated,  and  Zuiaglius  himself  at  their  head  slain 
in  1531. 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Calvin's  reformation  at  Geneva  began  by  ejecting  the 
.  prince  bishop  of  the  place,  and  dispossessing  him  of  his  so- 
vereignty and  temporal  dominions.  Calvin,  who  modelled 
the  state  of  Geneva,  declared  himself  an  enemy  to  monarch- 
ical government,  and  ever  commended  the  advantages  of  a 
commonwealth.  "  They  are,"  said  he,  "  beside  their  wits, 
quite  void  of  sense  and  understanding,  who  desire  to  live  un- 
der absolute  monarchies ;  for  it  cannot  be,  but  that  order  and 
policy  must  decay,  where  one  man  holds  such  an  extent  of 
government."  Comment,  in  Dan.  c.  2.  v.  39.  By  degrees  he 
expressed  more  openly  his  aversion  to  kings,  and  endea- 
voured to  disgrace  their  characters  by  the  most  scurrilous 
abuse.  "  These  kings,"  says  he,  "  are  in  a  manner  all  of 
them  a  set  of  blockheads  and  brutish  men."  Ibid.  c.  6.  •??.  3. 
Thus  he  trod  upon  the  steps,  and  imitated  the  language  of 
his  forerunner  Luther.  Again  ;  "  Princes,"  says  Calvin, 
"  forfeit  their  power  when  they  oppose  God  in  opposing  the 
reformation,  and  it  is  better,  in  such  cases,  to  spit  in  their 
faces  than  to  obey."  Ibid.  v.  22.  What  can  be  the  purport 
of  such  doctrine,  but  to  inspire  a  contempt  for  sovereigiis, 
and  to  encourage  the  people  to  cast  off  their  government,  un- 
der the  cloak  of  religion  ? 

Theodore  Beza,  Calvin's  scholar  and  successor  at  Geneva, 
supported  his  master's  doctrine,  and  enforced  it  by  his  own 
writings,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  preface  to  his  translation  oi 
the  New  Testament ;  and  again  in  his  book,  "  VindiciE  con- 
tra Tyrannos,^^  where  he  says :  "  We  must  obey  kings  for 
God's  sake,  when  they  obey  God  ;"  but  otherwise,  "  as  the 
vassal  loses  his  fief  or  tenure,  if  he  commit  felony,  so  does 
the  king  lose  his  right  and  realm  also ;"  thus  speaks  our 
modern  Junius  Brutus.  In  this  same  work  may  be  seen  a 
hundred  other  assertions  of  the  same  nature,  the  natural  ten- 
dency of  which  can  be  no  other,  but  to  arm  subjects  against 
their  sovereign,  and  to  introduce  anarchy  and  confusion  into 
the  world.  How  different  is  the  doctrine  of  these  two  mo- 
dern apostles  from  that  of  the  ancient  great  apostles,  SS.  Pe- 
ter and  Paul !  "  Be  ye  subject,"  says  St.  Peter,  "  to  every 
human  creature  for  God's  sake  :  whether  it  be  to  the  king, 
as  excelling ;  or  to  governors,  as  sent  by  him  for  the  punish- 
ment of  evil  doers,  and  for  the  praise  of  the  good."  Ep.  1. 
c.  2.  v.  13,  14.  "  Let  every  soul,"  says  St.  Paul,  "be  sub- 
ject to  higher  power :  for  there  is  no  powers,  but  from  God : 
and  those  that  are,  are  ordained  of  God."  Therefore  he  that 
resists  the  power,  resists  the  ordinance  of  God.      And  they 


HISTORY   CF  THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  161 

that  resist  purchase  to  themselves  damnation."  Ep.  ad  Rom. 
xiii.  1,  2. 

Geneva,  having  settled  the  plan  of  her  principles  accord- 
ing to  the  instructions  of  Calvin  and  Beza,  became  a  school 
of  rebellion  to  the  western  parts  of  Europe,  and  the  princi- 
pal nursery  of  the  civil  wars  in  France.  This  country  soon 
found  its  bowels  convulsed  by  the  poisonous  seeds  of  the  re 
formation,  that  had  clandestinely  been  sown,  and  taken  deep 
root,  in  Dauphine,  Gascony,  Languedoc,  and  other  provinces. 
In  1560,  the  Calvinists,  or  Huguenots,  formed  what  is  called 
"  the  conspiracy  of  Amboise,"  which  was  a  scheme  to  seize 
the  person  of  Francis  II.  king  of  France,  and  to  murder  the 
duke  of  Guise  and  his  brother  the  cardinal  of  Lorrain,  who 
had  the  chief  management  of  affairs  in  the  kingdom,  and 
were  attached  to  the  Catholic  religion.  They  had  prepared 
a  body  of  troops  for  the  purpose  ;  but  the  plot  was  discovered, 
and  prevented  from  taking  effect.  However  a  civil  war 
broke  out  in  1562,  in  which  the  prince  of  Conde  was  de- 
clared chief  of  the  Huguenots.  This  great  general  at  the 
head  of  a  body  of  them,  surprised  and  took  the  city  of  Or- 
leans, while  other  protestant  corps  made  themselves  masters 
of  Rouen  and  several  other  towns.  But  the  constable  Mont- 
morency and  the  duke  of  Guise  advancing  against  them  at 
the  head  of  the  Catholics,  for  Charles  IX.,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Francis  II.,  a  battle  ensued  near  the  town  of  Dreux, 
in  which  the  Huguenots,  who  gave  the  attack,  were  de- 
feated, and  their  commander,  the  prince  of  Conde,  taken  pri- 
soner. 

Though  the  protestants  had  thus  miscarried  in  their  rebel- 
lion against  their  sovereign,  yet  Beza,  who  for  his  warmth 
in  the  cause  had  accompanied  them,  and  been  present  at  the 
battle  of  Dreux,  boasted  of  that  battle,  as  having  served  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  the  reformation  in  France.  Thus  he 
addressed  Queen  Elizabeth  in  the  preface  to  his  translation  of 
the  New  Testament  :  "  Upon  which  day,  (the  day  of  the  bat- 
tle at  Dreux,)  two  years  since,  the  nobility  and  gentry  of 
France,  under  the  command  of  his  excellency  the  prince  of 
Conde,  being  assisted  with  your  majesty's  auxiliary  troops, 
and  some  others  from  the  princes  of  Germany,  laid  the  first 
foundation  of  the  true  reformed  religion  in  France,  with 
their  own  blood."  He  in  the  same  place  commends  the  re- 
bellious transactions  of  the  Huguenots  at  Meaux,  Orleans, 
&c.  and  glories  in  having  had  a  share  in  them.  "  AVhich  I 
speak,"  says  he,  "the  more  freely,  because  I  myself,  as  it 
14* 


1G2  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

pleased  God,  was  present  at   most  of  those  deliberations  and 
actions." 

The  year  after  the  battle  at  Dreux,  the  duke  of  Cluise  was 
assassinated  by  Poltrot,  a  fanatic  Calvinist.  Notwithstanding 
the  bad  success  the  Huguenots  had  met  with,  they  resolved 
not  to  rest,  till  they  should  compel  the  king  to  come  into  their 
own  terms.  They  therefore  contrived  another  scheme  to 
seize  his  person,  on  his  going  from  Meaux  to  Paris :  but  the 
desiofn  beinaf  discovered  and  frustrated,  the  civil  war  recom- 
menced,  and  they  were  vanquished  a  second  time  near  St. 
Dennis,  in  1567.  They  were  worsted  again  at  Jarnac  in  1569, 
and  the  same  year  were  overthrown  in  a  very  bloody  engage- 
ment at  Moncontour. 

Many  were  the  insurrections  and  rebellions  of  the  Cal- 
vinists  in  France  in  the  subsequent  reigns,  which  cre- 
ated infinite  perplexities  to  the  kings,  and  produced  in- 
expressible calamities  in  that  kingdom.  It  is  sufficient  in 
this  place  to  have  shown  their  origin  from  the  principles 
of  the  reformation,  and  their  first  progress.  And  what 
has  been  said,  is  no  more  than  is  acknowledged  by  protest- 
ants  themselves  of  other  sects.  Thus  are  the  Calvinists  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Heylin,  a  learned  protestant  of  the  Church 
of  England,  in  his  Cosmography,  book  I.  "  Rather  than  their 
discipline  should  not  be  admitted,  and  the  episcopal  govern- 
ment destroyed  in  all  the  churches  of  Christ,  they  were  re- 
solved to  depose  kings,  ruin  kingdoms,  and  to  subvert  the  fun- 
damental constitutions  of  all  civil  states."  When  people  pro- 
ceed upon  such  schemes  of  violence,  can  they  wonder,  that 
princes  or  their  officers  in  their  wrath  sometimes  retaliate 
upon  them  !  Violence  necessarily  gives  provocation,  which 
in  its  turn  exerts  itself,  though  perhaps  by  unjustifiable  me- 
thods. When  sovereigns  perceive  their  lives  to  be  in  dan- 
ger from  conspiracies,  when  they  see  their  states  ransacked, 
and  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  arms  of  rebellious  subjects, 
can  we  be  surprised  if  these  sovereigns,  without  consulting 
religion,  sometimes  repel  the  evil  by  rough  and  cruel  means  ? 
Such  was  the  so  much  talked  of  massacre  of  the  Huguenots, 
at  Paris  and  other  places  in  France,  in  1572,  on  St.  Bartho- 
lomew's da)%  in  the  reign  of  Charles  IX. 

The  massacre  also  of  the  protestants  in  Ireland  in  1641, 
has  been  often  objected  against  the  Catholic  Church.  When 
people  are  driven  to  despair  by  excessive  hardship  and  op- 
pression, and  even  threatened  with  utter  extirpation,  what 
wonder  if  an  insurrection  follows?     Such  was  the  case  with 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  163 

the  Irish  Catholics.  The  insurgents  even  were  not  the  body 
of  Catholics,  they  were  no  more  than  an  exasperated  rabble 
in  the  province  of  Ulster,  who  acted  against  the  inclination 
of  the  community,  and  in  opposition  to  the  exhortations  of 
their  clergy:  and  indeed  all  such  violences  are  utterly  con- 
demned by  the  Catholic  doctrine.  It  is  also  clear  from  au- 
thentic records  and  testimonies,  that  this  massacre  has  been 
exceedingly  exaggerated,  and  that  not  one  hundredth  part  of 
the  number  were  m-urdered  that  were  reported.  These  par- 
ticulars are  proved  at  length  by  a  learned  protestant  writer 
of  the  kingdom  of  Ireland,  in  a  book  entitled  :  "  The  trial  of 
the  cause  of  the  Roman  Catholics. Dublin,  1761." 

The  nature  of  Calvinism  being  so  opposite  to  the  Catholic 
religion,  it  produced  in  its  prosel3'^tes  a  rancorous  aversion  to 
every  thing  belonging  to  the  latter  communion.  The  conse- 
quence of  this  could  be  no  other,  when  once  they  had  arms 
in  their  hands,  but  to  spread  desolation,  and  exercise  cruelties 
upon  those  whose  religion  they  hated.  And  such  was  the  real 
fact.  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  history  of  the  Calvinists, 
without  being  shocked  at  the  disorders  and  barbarities  com- 
mitted by  them.  It  is  computed,  that  in  the  course  of  those 
wars,  they  destroyed  twenty  thousand  churches.  In  the  pro- 
vince of  Dauphine  alone,  they  killed  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  priests,  and  one  hundred  and  twelve  monks  and  friars, 
and  burnt  nine  hundred  towns  and  villages.  If  the  maxims 
of  Calvinism  warranted  such  proceedings,  could  its  gospel 
be  the  gospel  of  Christ  1 

As  Beza  had  been  the  chief  instrument  of  propagating 
Calvinism  in  France,  and  a  great  agent  in  fomenting  the 
seditions  and  combustions  it  occasioned  in  that  country ;  in 
like  manner  Knox,  another  disciple  of  Calvin,  carried  the 
same  doctrine  into  Scotland,  where  he  planted  it  by  sedition 
and  rebellion,  by  fire  and  sword.  He,  Buchanan,  Goodman, 
and  other  associates,  having  consulted  together,  agreed  to 
reform  the  Church  of  Scotland  according  to  the  standard  of 
Geneva  ;  when  a  sufficient  party  was  formed,  they  began  their 
work  of  reformation  by  murdering  Cardinal  Beaton  in 
1546,  the  principal  supporter  of  the  Catholic  Religion. 
Knox  harangued  the  people,  declaimed  against  the  ancient 
faith  and  clergy,  and  inflamed  the  multitude  to  that  degree 
of  rage,  that  they  immediately  ran  to  the  Churches,  over- 
turned the  altars,  defaced  the  pictures,  broke  to  pieces  the 
statues,  carried  off  the  ornaments,  and  then  proceeded 
against  the  monasteries,  which  they  almost  laid  level  with 


164  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

the  ground.  This  sort  of  work  Knox  carried  on  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  Scotland.  In  a  little  time  these  fanatics,  who 
were  styled  Presbyterians,  finding  themselves  growing  nu- 
merous, rose  up,  like  horses  prepared  unto  battle,  in  re- 
bellion against  the  queen  regent,  and  bringing  armies  into 
the  field,  committed  horrible  disorders.  They  were  supported 
by  Glueen  Elizabeth  of  England ;  and  having  convoked  a 
general  assembly  of  the  party,  they  concluded,  conformably 
to  the  opinion  of  Knox,  who  declared  it  lawful,  to  depose 
the  queen  mother  from  her  regency.  After  her  death,  which 
happened  in  the  year  1560,  Glueen  Mary  being  then  in 
France,  they  enacted  a  law,  by  the  instigation  of  Knox, 
prohibiting  ihe  exercise  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  Scotland. 
They  got  this  law  afterwards  confirmed  by  a  Parliament 
in  1567,  and  they  excluded  the  queen  from  all  govern- 
ment. The  succeeding  calamities  which  this  unfortunate 
queen  and  her  kingdom  sustained  from  that  seditious  set 
of  people,  who  were  grown  too  strong  to  be  controlled, 
are  too  well  known  to  need  any  relation.  It  is  equally 
notorious,  that  the  spirit  of  Presbyterianism,  at  first  con- 
fined to  the  north,  insinuated  itself  by  degrees  into  the 
neighbouring  kingdom  of  England,  where  it  soon  created 
divisions  among  the  people,  and  raised  such  commotions, 
as  in  the  end  overturned  the  state,  and  brought  a  king  to 
the  block.  The  world  has  too  much  experienced,  that 
kings,  queens,  bishops,  and  priests,  could  never  be  allowed 
a  share  in  their  friendship. 

Lutheranism  having  insinuated  itself  into  the  Nether- 
lands, several  states  of  that  country  confederated  toge- 
ther at  Utrecht  in  1578,  and  agreed  to  twenty  articles,  as 
the  foundation  of  their  union,  the  first  of  which  was  "to 
support  one  another  against  all  force  that  should  be  exer- 
cised upon  them  in  the  king's  name  or  for  religion."  This 
league  was  confirmed  at  the  Hague  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange  in  the  year  1581.  The  scheme  was, 
to  renounce  all  obedience  to  their  liege  lord  the  king  of 
Spain,  and  to  withdraw  themselves  entirely  from  his  power, 
which  they  did  by  a  public  edict.  Pursuant  to  this,  they 
proceeded  to  break  the  king's  seal,  to  pull  down  his  arms, 
to  take  possession  of  his  lands  and  rents,  and  to  coin 
money  in  their  own  names.  With  the  same  usurped  au- 
thority they  seized  the  Church-livings,  and  abolished  the 
Catholic  religion.  Such  were  the  steps  taken  under  the 
standard  of  Lutheranism;  but  when   the  Calvinistical  doc- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  1G5 

trine  got  footing,  the  flame  spread  with  the  utmost  vio- 
lence. The  people,  regardless  of  all  laws,  by  which  they 
were  bound  to  their  sovereign,  take  up  arms  and  mutiny 
every  where  against  his  magistrates.  The  churches  are 
plundered,  the  religious  men  and  women  are  expelled  by 
force  from  their  monasteries,  which  are  rifled  and  pulled 
down.  To  quell  these  rebellious  insurrections,  and  to  put 
a  stop  to  these  disorders,  Philip,  king  of  Spain,  to  whom 
the  low  countries  belonged,  sent  a  body  of  Spanish  forces 
under  the  command  of  the  Duke  of  Alva.  A  bloody  war 
ensued,  in  which  the  Prince  of  Orange  was  the  chief  di- 
rector of  the  affairs  of  the  confederates.  The  duke  reduced 
ten  of  the  revolted  provinces  to  their  former  obedience  and 
subjection  to  the  king  of  Spain;  but  seven  others,  since 
styled  the  "  United  Provinces,"  found  means  to  maintain 
their  ground  against  the  Spanish  efforts,  and  formed  them- 
selves into  an  independent  commonwealth,  the  only  go- 
vernment that  Calvinism  admits  of 

In  England,  Denmark,  and  Sweden,  the  reformation 
was  introduced  by  the  kings  themselves,  who  compelled 
their  subjects  to  receive  it.  Thus  ushered  in  by  the  su- 
preme temporal  power,  it  stood  in  no  need  of  insurrec- 
tions and  tumults  among  the  people,  to  gain  admittance  ; 
the  sword  and  authority  of  the  prince  performed  the  whole 
function.  Those  individuals,  who  dared  to  continue  in  the 
practice  of  the  ancient  religion,  were  declared  traitors  to 
their  sovereign,  and  rebels  to  the  state. 

Thus  much  may  be  sufficient  for  the  explanation  of  our 
text,  that  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  horses  pre- 
pared unto  battle. 

"  And  on  their  heads  (the  heads  of  the  locusts,)  were  as 
it  were  like  crowns  of  gold,"  v.  7.  The  locusts  bore  upon 
their  heads  something  that  resembled  crowns,  which  crowns 
appeared  to  be  of  gold.  This  allusion  points  at  the  pride 
and  presumption  of  the  new  sectaries,  who  assumed  to 
themselves  the  high  function  of  preaching  the  gospel,  with- 
out having  any  lawful  mission :  they  pretended  to  be  the 
true  ministers  of  God,  without  showing  any  credentials 
from  him  ;  thejr  set  up  for  apostles  of  Christ,  but  could 
not  produce  his  commission.  Luther  styled  himself  "  by 
the  grace  of  God,  ecclesiastes  or  preacher  of  Wirtemburg." 
Epist.  ad  fals.  nominat.  Epis.  He  treated  with  the  ut- 
most contempt  the  pope  and  the  bishops,  as  we  have  al- 
ready seen.      As   to   the  Fathers  of  the  Church,    he  said, 


166  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN*  CHURCH. 

"they  were  all  blind."  Lib.  de  servit  Arbit.  And  "  he  con 
cerned  not  himself  what  Ambrose,  Augustin,  the  councils, 
or  practices  of  ages,  said."  Lib.  contra  Regem  Auglla. 
Then  he  boasted  of  his  own  merits :  "  The  gospel,"  says 
he,  "  has  been  so  fully  preached  by  us,  that  even  in  the 
times  of  the  apostles  it  was  not  so  well  understood."  Serm. 
de  Evers.  Jerusalem.  In  this  manner  Luther  stt  a  crown 
upon  his  own  head,  and  the  whole  troop  of  reformers  after 
him  crowned  themselves  in  the  same  manner.  Such  crowns, 
the  work  of  self-conceit  and  arrogance,  could  not  be  real 
crowns,  but  only  as  it  were  crowns,  that  is,  the  mere  appear- 
ances of  such. 

It  was  said  of  the  apostles  of  Christ :  "  Thou  shalt  esta- 
blish them  princes  over  all  the  earth."  Psalm  44.  17.  The 
conversion  of  numberless  nations  to  Christ  by  their  ministry, 
had  merited  to  them  the  title  of  princes  and  the  right  of 
wearing  crowns.  The  reformers  claimed  the  same  honours. 
But  the  crowns  of  the  apostles  were  of  pure  gold,  because 
their  doctrine,  which  flovv-ed  from  Christ  the  source,  was  pure 
and  genuine.  Whereas  the  doctrine  of  our  modern  apostles, 
being  derived  from  no  other  source  but  their  own  invention, 
and  being  contrary  to  the  doctrine  preserved  in  that  Church 
Avhich  was  planted  and  formed  by  the  primitive  apostles: 
such  new-devised  doctrine,  I  say,  can  be  nothing  else  but  er- 
ror and  delusion,  and  consequently  their  apparent  crowns 
are  not  of  pure  but  of  counterfeit  gold,  or,  as  the  text  ex- 
presses it,  they  are  like  to  gold,  or  really  mere  tinsel. — These 
crowns  on  their  heads,  also  show  clearly  their  geneial  spirit 
of  independency. 

"  And  their  faces  (the  faces  of  the  locusts)  were  as  the  faces 
of  men,"  v.  7.  The  locusts  appeared  to  St.  John  v\'ith  faces  of 
men.  Here  is  marked  out  the  delusive  appearance  of  the 
modern  sectaries.  They  pretended  that  faith  had  been  adul- 
terated, and  that  the  morals  of  mankind  Avere  guided  by 
erroneous  principles.  They  therefore  assumed  the  province 
of  rectifying  both,  by  preachino-  up  a  "  reformation."  For 
this  purpose  these  "  reformers"  framed  new  systems  of  reli- 
gion. They  proposed  each  of  them  their  own  creed  for  set- 
tling the  articles  of  belief,  and  a  new  p^an  of  morality  for  the 
direction  of  human  actions.  All  this  was  devised,  as  they  al- 
leged, to  correct  the  defects  and  errors  of  the  CathoJic  doc- 
trine. Thus  they  put  on  the  faces  of  men,  that  is,  they  an- 
nounced themselves  as  teachers  of  orthodox  and  holy  doctrine  ; 
and  by  this  means  they  deluded  those  who  had  not  the  sign  of 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  167 

God  upon  their  foreheads;  that  is,  the  careless  and  vicious. 
But  it  soon  appeared  that  these  faces  of  men  were  no  more 
than  vizards  resembling  human  faces,  that  the  specious  name 
of  "reformation"  was  only  a  mask  made  use  of  to  instil  their 
treacherous  doctrine  with  more  ease  and  subtlety.  The  mask 
was  soon  removed,  and  their  doctrine,  when  applied  to  the 
true  criterion,  was  evidently  discovered  to  be  false.  It  disa- 
greed with  that  which  Christ  had  deposited  with  his  apostles, 
and  which  he  charged  them  to  impart  to  the  rest  of  mankind  ; 
at  the  same  time  assuring  them  and  their  successors  that,  in 
order  to  enable  them  to  execute  their  commission  with  fidelity, 
"  he  would  himself  be  with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world." 
Matt,  xxviii.  20.  And  that  "the  spirit  of  truth  should  abide 
with  them  for  ever."  John  xiv.  16,  17.  That  the  new-in- 
vented maxims  were  of  bad  tendency,  the  effects  soon  proved. 
Instead  of  a  reformation,  they  produced  a  general  licentious- 
ness. This  appeared  in  the  seditions,  insurrections  and  vio- 
lences committed  on  all  sides.  Complaints  were  also  heard 
from  all  quarters,  of  excessive  loosejiess  of  manners.  The 
Lutheran  magistrates  of  several  imperial  cities  in  Germany, 
petitioned  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  to  re-establish  by  his  au- 
thority auricular  confession,  as  a  check  upon  the  then  pre- 
vailing libertinism.  And  indeed  it  was  highly  probable,  that 
from  the  pretended  "  Christian  liberty"  which  was  then 
preached,  a  deluge  of  vice  would  have  diffused  itself,  had  not 
the  civil  power  stepped  in  to  stem  it.  The  reformers  themselves 
were  so  ashamed  of  the  progress  of  immoralitj?-  among  their 
prosel}i:es,  that  they  could  not  help  complaining  against  it. 
Thus  spoke  Luther:  "Men  are  now  more  revengeful,  covet- 
ous, and  licentious,  than  they  were  ever  in  the  papacy." 
Pastil,  swper  Evang.  Dom.  1.  adv.  Thus  again:  "Hereto- 
fore when  we  were  seduced  by  the  pope,  every  man  willing- 
ly performed  good  works,  but  now  no  man  says  or  kno\^  s 
anything  else,  but  how  to  get  all  to  himself  by  exactions,  pil- 
lage, theft,  lying,  usury,"  &c.  Postil.  super  Evang.  Dom. 
2'3.  fost.  Trin.  Calvin  wrote  in  the  same  strain :  "  Of  so  many 
thousands,"  said  he,  "who,  renouncing  popery,  seemed  eager- 
ly to  embrace  the  gospel,  how  few  have  amended  their  lives? 
Nay,  what  else  did  the  greater  part  pretend  to,  but  by  sha- 
king ofT  the  yoke  of  superstition,  to  give  themselves  more  li- 
berty to  follow  all  kinds  of  licentiousness."  Lib.  de  Scaiidalis. 
Others  of  the  German  reformers  repeated  the  same  re- 
proaches. But  have  those  a  right  to  complain  of  an  inun- 
dation who  have  themselves  cut  open  the  banks  of  the  river  1 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Dr.  Heylin,  in  his  history  of  the  reformation,  complains  also  of 
"the  great  increase  of  viciousness''  in  England  in  the  re- 
forming reign  of  Edward  VI.  Erasmus,  though  no  zealous 
advocate  for  the  Catholics,  could  not  help  observing  the  de- 
generacy of  morals  brought  on  by  the  change  of  religion : 
"  Take  a  view,"  says  he,  "  of  this  evangelical  people,  the  pro- 
testants. — Perhaps  'tis  my  misfortune ;  but  I  never  yet  met 
with  one,  who  does  not  appear  changed  for  the  worse." 
Epist.  ad  Vultur.  Neoc.  And  again  :  "  Some  persons,"  says 
he,  "  whom  I  knew  formerly  innocent,  harmless,  and  withor.t 
deceit,  no  sooner  have  1  seen  joined  to  that  sect,  (the  proltst- 
ants,)  but  they  began  to  talk  of  wenches,  to  play  at  dice,  to  leave 
off  prayers,  being  grown  extremely  worldly,  most  impatient, 
revengeful,  vain,  like  vipers  tearing  one  another.  I  speak  by 
experience."   Ep.  ad  Fratres  infer.  Germania. 

"And  they  (the  locusts,)  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women," 
V.  8.  In  describing  the  heads  of  the  locusts,  from  the  fore- 
part of  the  face  which  resembled  that  of  man,  St.  John  pro- 
ceeds to  the  back-part,  which  is  found  covered  with  hair  like 
woman's  hair.  This  latter  allusion,  unhappily  for  the  sec- 
taries, betrays  too  plainly  their  sensual  disposition  towards 
that  sex,  their  shameful  doctrine  on  that  score,  and  the  scan- 
dalous example  of  their  practice.  Luther,  in  despite  of  the 
vow  he  had  solemnly  made  to  God  of  keeping  continency, 
married,  and  married  a  nun,  equally  bound  as  himself  to  that 
sacred  religious  promise.  But  as  St.  Jerome  says,  "  It  is  rare 
to  find  a  heretic  that  loves  chastity."  Luther's  example  had 
indeed  been  anticipated  by  Carlostadius,  a  priest  and  ring- 
leader of  the  Sacramentarians,  who  had  married  a  little  be- 
fore ;  and  it  was  followed  by  most  of  the  heads  of  the  reform- 
ation. Zuinglius,  a  priest  and  chief  of  the  sect  that  bore  his 
name,  took  a  wife.  Bucer,  a  religious  man  of  the  order  of 
St.  Dominick,  became  Lutheran,  left  his  cloister,  and  married 
a  nun.  Oecolampadius,  a  Brigittin  monk,  became  Zuinglian, 
and  also  married.  Cranmer,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  had 
also  his  wife.  Peter  Martyr,  a  canon  regular,  embraced  the 
doctrine  of  Calvin,  but  followed  the  example  of  Luther,  and 
married  a  nun.  Ochin,  general  of  the  Capuchins,  became  Lu- 
theran, and  also  married.  Thus  the  principal  leaders  in  the 
reformation  went  forth  preaching  the  new  gospel,  with  two 
marks  upon  them,  apostacy  from  faith,  and  open  violation 
of  the  most  sacred  vows.  The  passion  of  lust,  it  is  also  well 
known,  hurried  Henry  VIII.  of  England  into  a  separation  from 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  ranked  him  among  the  reformers. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  i69 

As  Luther  foresaw  the  scandal  that  would  rise  from  his  own 
and  such  like  sacrilegious  marriages,  he  prepared  the  world 
for  it,  by  writing  against  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy,  and 
against  all  religious  vows.  He  proclaimed  that  all  such  vows 
"  were  contrary  to  feith,  to  the  commands  of  God,  and  to  evan- 
gelical liberty."  De  votis  Blonast.  He  said  again :  "  God 
disapproves  of  such  a  vow,  of  living  in  continency,  equally 
as  if  I  should  vow  to  become  the  mother  of  God,  or  to  create 
a  new  w^orld."  Ep.  oaI  Wolfgang  Reisemh.  And  again  : 
"  To  attempt  to  live  unmarried,  is  plainly  to  fight  against  God." 
Ibid  How  does  such  doctrine  agree  with  the  commenda- 
tions our  Saviour  gives  to  celibacy,  when  speaking  of  it  he 
says:  "  All  men  take  not  this  word,  but  they  to  whom  it  is 
given."  Matt.  xix.  11.  Or  with  the  advice  of  St.  Paul,  who 
being  himself  unmarried,  said:  "  I  say  to  the  unmarried  and 
widows  :  it  is  good  for  them  if  they  so  continue,  even  as  I." 
I  Cor.  vii.  8.  And  this  has  been  practised  through  all  the 
ages  of  Christianity.  But  when  men  give  a  loose  to  the  de- 
pravity of  nature,  what  wonder  if  the  most  scandalous  prac- 
tices ensue?  Accordingly,  besides  what  has  been  above- 
mentioned,  a  striking  instance  of  this  kind  appeared  in  the  li- 
cense granted  in  1539  to  Philip,  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  to  have 
two  wives  at  once  :  which  license  was  signed  by  Luther,  Me- 
lanchton,  Bucer,  and  five  other  divines.  On  another  hand, 
a  wide  door  ^vas  laid  open  to  another  species  of  scandal: 
the  doctrine  of  the  reformation  admitted  divorces  in  the 
marriage  state  in  certain  cases,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
gospel,  and  even  allowed  the  parties  thus  separated  to  marry 
other  wives  and  other  husbands. 

"  And  their  teeth  (the  teeth  of  the  locusts,)  were  as  of  lions," 
V.  8.  In  the  preceding  article  we  had  a  figure  of  the  incon- 
tinency  of  the  reformers,  here  we  are  presented  with  a  sym- 
bol of  their  avarice.  It  was  not  sufficient  to  have  named 
them  locusts,  and  to  intimate  their  ravenous  temper  by  the 
greediness  of  those  insects;  they  are  here  repTesented  with 
teeth  of  lions,  ready  to  devour  with  violence  whatever  prey 
they  can  come  at.  What  is  more  known  than  the  truth  of 
this  representation  ?  Did  not  the  protestants,  wherever  they 
got  footing,  pillage  the  churches,  seize  the  churcli  possessions, 
destroy  the  monasteries,  and  appropriate  to  themselves  the 
revenues?  Such  wns  the  case  in  Germany,  in  Holland,  in 
France,  in  Switzerland,  in  Scotland,  as  we  have  seen  in  rela- 
ting the  protestant  wars  in  those  countries.  In  England 
likewise,  what  a  scene  of  rapine !  Without  descending  to  a 
15 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

detail  of  particulars,  it  may  be.  sufficient  to  say,  that  in  thf» 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.  were  suppressed  no  less  than  645  mon- 
asteries, 90  Colleges,  110  hospitals,  and  of  chantries  and  free 
chapels  2374,  Baker's  Chron. ;  the  lands  and  revenues  of  all 
which  were  confiscated  to  the  king.  Is  not  this,  to  devour 
wnth  lion's  teeth  ?  The  same  course  of  rapine  was  carried 
on  under  Edward  VI.,  which  swept  away  what  remained  from 
the  preceding  reign.  Dr.  Heylin,  in  the  preface  to  his  his- 
tory of  the  reformation,  speaking  of  this  prince  and  his  reign, 
says :  "  Such  was  the  rapacity  of  the  times,  and  the  misfor- 
tune of  his  condition,  that  his  minority  was  abused  by  many 
acts  of  spoil  and  rapine,  even  to  an  high  degree  of  sacrilege, 
to  the  raising  of  some,  and  the  enriching  of  others,  without 
any  manner  of  improvement  to  his  "own  estate."  The  hungry 
courtiers  began  their  sacrilegious  rapine,  by  plundering  the 
images  and  shrines  of  the  saints,  and  seizing  upon  the  orna- 
ments, plate,  and  jewels  of  the  churches.  These  spoils  not 
being  sufficient  to  glut  their  leo7iine  avidity,  they  invaded  the 
bishopricks,  which  they  stripped  of  many  of  their  possessions. 
The  detail  of  all  which  may  be  seen  in  the  above-mentioned 
history  of  Dr.  Heylin. 

In  Sweden,  Gustavus  Erickson  introduced  the  Lutheran 
reformation,  and  seized  the  church-lands  and  revenues,  leav- 
ing the  clergy  but  a  slender  maintenance.  The  same  did 
Christiern  III.,  king  of  Denmark,  in  his  dominions.  Thus 
^obbing  people  of  their  property,  demolishing  their  habita- 
tions, public  buildings,  &c.  which  violences  in  all  civilized 
countries  are  punished  with  death,  were,  in  the  course  of  the 
reformation,  practised  with  impunity  ;  and  the  perpetrators 
gratified  their  avarice,  which  they  masked  with  the  pretend- 
ed vindication  of  religion.  The  testaments  of  the  dead, 
which  even  among  heathens  are  sacred,  were  in  these  timts 
contemptuously  violated,  and  the  donations,  which  the  testa- 
tors had  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  and  to  the  relief  of 
the  sick  and  distressed,  were  scandalously  diverted  to  other 
purposes. 

"  And  they  had  (the  locusts  had,)  breast-plates  as  breast- 
plates of  iron,"  v,  9.  In  the  two  last  articles,  we  saw  the 
spirit  of  incontinency  and  avarice  of  the  reformers  and  their 
societies :  here  we  are  presented  w  ith  a  picture  of  their  ob- 
stinacy, under  the  figure  of  iron  breast-plates.  Whoever  is 
not  joined  with  the  protestants  in  their  persuasion,  knows  full 
well  that  their  obstinacy  is  incredible  in  defending  their  doc- 
trine ;  that  for  that  purpose  they  are  not  ashamed  to  make  use 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  171 

of  any  arg-uments,  though  ever  so  frivolous,  inconsistent,  or 
absurd,  and  to  asperse  the  Catholic  communion  Avith  slanders, 
misrepresentations,  and  calumnies.  It  also  appears  from  the 
account  we  have  before  given  of  the  wars  of  the  reformation, 
that  the  protestants  were  always  ready  to  maintain  their  new 
adopted  religion  at  any  rate,  even  with  arms,  and  at  the  risk  of 
their  lives.  In  that  view  the  protectant  princes  of  Germany 
entered  into  a  league  offensive  and  defensive  against  the  Empe- 
ror Charles  V.,  rose  up  in  arms,  nor  could  they  be  prevailed  up- 
on to  sit  down  quiet,  till  they  had  established  the  reformation. 
Thus  they  carried  breast-plates  of  iron.  Many  other  wars 
succeeded  in  Germany  between  the  Catholics  and  Protestants. 
After  a  similar  manner  in  othter  countries,  where  the  reforma- 
tion get  footing,  its  abettors  so  obstinately  supported  it  by  se- 
dition, disturbance,  and  war,  that  no  peace  could  be  purcha- 
sed from  them,  till  their  religion  was  admitted  and  ratified  by 
the  laws  of  the  respective  kingdom's.  Such  was  the  case  not 
only  in  Germany,  but  in  Holland,  in  several  provinces  of 
France,  in  Scotland,  &c.  And  I  believe  every  one  presumes 
such  v^ould  be  more  or  less  the  case  at  this  day,  if  any  dan- 
ger threatened  the  reformation. 

"  And  the  noise  of  their  wings  (the  wings  of  the  locusts)  was 
as  the  noise  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle,"  v.  9 
Here  the  prophet  points  at  the  turbulent,  nmrmuring,  cla- 
morous disposition  of  the  reformed,  properly  expressed  by  the 
noise  of  the  wings  of  the  locusts,  which  was  as  loud  as  the 
noise  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  war.  Did  not 
that  inflammatory  spirit  of  uneasiness,  loud  murmur,  and 
sedition,  appear  in  all  those  kingdoms  where  the  reformation 
was  received  ?  How  often  has  the  public  tranquillity  been 
convulsed  by  that  baleful  poison  ?  What  fatal  disturbances 
have  been  raised,  and  what  troubles  have  princes  sustained  to 
quell  them  ?  Some  of  the  sects  are  inspired  with  a  relentless 
hatred  to  government;  their  complaints  are  clamorous  and 
unceasing,  and  they  brood  upon  mischief,  devising  how  to 
destroy  superior  power,  and  reduce  all  mankind  to  a  level. 
What  intestine  murmurs  have  been  heard,  what  tumultuous 
scenes  have  been  seen  in  England,  Scotland,  and  France  ? 

On  another  hand,  the  unhappy  effects  of  this  uneasy  and 
ungenerous  disposition  have  been  severely  felt  by  those  of  the 
Catholic  communion,  living  in  protestant  countries.  Though 
all  the  reformed  sects  agreed  in  preaching  up  "  Christian 
liberty,"  the  Catholics  have  seemed  to  be  envied  the  least 
share  of  that  invaluable  blessing.      Without  any  just  pro- 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

vocation,  alarming  outcries  have  been  often  throi^'n  out 
aj^ainst  them  :  they  have  been  threatened  with  the  rigour  of 
the  kiws,  and  persecution  even  has  sometimes  been  set  on 
foot.  We  see  then  that  the  loud  noise  of  the  wings  of  the 
locusts,  like  the  loud  rumbling  noise  of  chariots  of  many 
horses  running  to  battle,  very  fitly  represents  that  restless 
turbulent  spirit,  which  continued  in  the  reformed  societies, 
and  banished  peace  from  governments  as  well  as  from  the 
Church  of  Christ. 

Here  terminates  the  period  of  five  months,  or  150  years, 
mentioned  above  in  verse  .5th;  within  which  space  of  time  is 
comprehended,  as  we  have  seen,  one  share  of  the  history  of 
the  reformation,  and  in  reality  the  principal  part  of  it.  During 
this  period,  Avhich  commenced,  as  w^e  have  said,  about  the 
year  1525,  and  consequently  ended  1675,  the  reformed  religion 
was  forcibly  introduced,  took  its  full  growth,  and  was  finally 
settled.  In  Germany,  Holland,  and  Switzerland,  borne  upon 
the  shoulders  of  sedition  and  rebellion,  it  became  so  far  vic- 
torious as  to  procure  its  establishment  by  the  celebrated 
treaty  of  Munster  in  Westphalia  in  1648.  The  Calvinists 
or  Huguenots  in  France  made  their  way  by  detestable  plots 
and  dreadful  civil  wars,  till  they  procured  from  Henry  IV. 
the  edict  of  Nantes,  for  the  toleration  of  their  religion,  in 
1598:  which  edict  was  confirmed  by  Louis  XIII.  in  1622, 
though  afterwards  repealed  in  1685  by  Lewis  XIV.  In 
other  countries  where  the  sovereigns  received  the  reform- 
ation, it  was  settled  more  early. 


CHAP.  IX. 

THE    CONTINUATION   OF  THE    HISTORY  OF    THE    FIFTH   AGE. 

A'poc,  chap.  ix.  10.  "  And  they  (the  locusts,)  had* 
tails  like  to  scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails,  and 
their  power  was  to  hurt  men  five  months.  And  they  hadf 
over  them, 

V.  11.  "  A  king,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit;  whose 
name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and  in  Greek,  Apollyon  :  in 
Latin,  Exterminans,  that  is,  Destroyer." 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  "  have."       t  In  the  Greek,  "  have." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  173 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  the  second  period  of  time,  which 
begins  with  the  above  10th  verse,  and  is  of  equal  duration 
with  the  first,  that  is,  consists  of  150  years. 

That  here  begins  a  new  period  of  five  months,  or  150 
ye-ars,  different  from  that  mentioned  in  verse  the  5th,  is  not  a 
groundless  supposition,  but  is  proved  by  the  following  reasons. 
First,  the  expression  of  five  months  being  twice  used, 
namely,  in  verse  5th  and  verse  10th,  sufficiently  argues  a 
double  period.  For  whoever  studies  the  Apocalypse,  will 
find  in  it  such  extreme  precision,  that  the  same  thing  is  never 
repeated  in  the  same  circumstances ;  that  every  word  ex- 
presses some  particular  object,  and  is  so  necessary  in  its  place, 
that  it  cannot  be  taken  away  without  maiming  the  sense. 
One  may  therefore  conclude  from  the  nature  of  this  divine 
revelation,  that  the  repeated  mention  of  five  months  indicates 
the  distinction  of  a  double  period.  Sir  Isaac  Newton  ac- 
knowledged the  same  distinction,  but  applied  it  to  a  different 
subject.  Secondly,  the  Greek  text  shows  the  same  very 
plainly,  and  even  the  place  where  the  first  period  expires 
and  the  second  begins.  In  the  verses  8th  and  9th,  the  de- 
scription proceeds  by  the  repeated  expression,  they  had ;  hut 
at  the  10th  verse  the  expression  is  suddenly  changed  into 
they  have,  and  continues  so  to  the  end  of  the  description.  This 
sudden  change  of  time  from  they  had,  to  they  have,  clearly 
points  out  a  transition  from  one  period  to  another.  And  in 
this  very  same  10th  verse,  where  the  transition  takes  place, 
is  immediately  subjoined  the  second  mention   of  five  months. 

The  distinction  of  two  periods,  each  of  150  years,  being 
thus  stated  :  as  the  first  began  with  the  reformation  about  the 
year  1525,  and  expired  at  1675,  the  second  will  reach  to  1825. 
We  are  now  to  see  what  account  our  inspired  writer  gives  of 
the  reformation  in  this  latter  period.  It  is  mostly  contained 
in  the  10th  verse,  which  we  shall  here  put  down  conformable 
to  the  Greek  text.  "  They  (the  locusts,)  have  tails  like  unto 
scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails  :  and  their  power, 
was  to  hurt  men  five  months."  Here  the  locusts  are  said  to  have 
tails,  that  resemble  whole  scorpions  with  stings  in  them. 
This  allegory  describes  very  emphatically  the  angry  temper 
of  the  protestants,  and  their  implacable  enmity  to  those  of  the 
Catholic  communion.  Whoever  presumes  to  abridge  that 
"  evangelical  liberty,"  which  is  their  idol,  they  immediately 
declaim  against  the  attempt,  chaff,  and  threaten,  like  scor- 
pions, to  sting.  They  still  retain  a  good  share  of  that 
factious  and  violent  temper,  with  which  they  first  propagated 
15* 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

their  religion,  and  which  during  this  period  breaks  out  on 
different  occasions,  to  the  disturbing  of  public  peace,  and 
alarming  the  sovereigns,  as  experience  sufficiently  shows. 
On  another  hand,  though  the  reformation,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  settled  and  secured,  and  in  some  kingdoms  is  the  re- 
ligion of  the  state;  yet  it  retains  a  persecuting  spirit  against 
those  of  the  ancient  faith.  The  protestants  show  they  are 
armed  with  scorpion's  stings,  with  w^hich  they  angrily  threaten, 
and  they  have  still  a  power  to  hurt  very  sorely.  They  have, 
in  this  latter  period,  increased  the  number  of  inhuman  ]a^AS 
made  before  against  the  Catholics ;  and  these  laws,  perhaj^s 
indeed  less  severe  than  the  former,  have  been  at  times  mors 
or  less  put  in  execution.  In  the  preceding  period  they 
were  allowed  "  to  torment  mankind,"  v.  5  ;  but  in  the  present 
period  it  is  said,  their  power  is  to  hurt  mankind.  The  ex- 
pression of  hurting,  as  it  is  of  a  milder  import  than  that  of 
tormenting,  indicates  an  abatement  of  their  first  rage,  and  a 
more  moderate  behaviour  towards  those  they  repute  their 
enemies.  This  is  a  blessing,  for  which  the  Catholics  offer 
just  tribute  of  thanks  to  the  Almighty,  and  acknowledge  the 
humanity  of  those  from  whose  hands  the  favour  immediately 
comes.  But,  notwithstanding  the  moderate  and  generous 
disposition  of  some,  there  are  always  other  malevolent  indi- 
viduals, who  cannot  wholly  drop  that  animosity  they  imbibed 
in  a  misguided  education,  and  will  endeavour  to  force  the 
magistrates  to  the  execution  of  the  laws  against  their  fellow- 
creatures.  Thus  they  threaten  A\'ith  their  stings,  or  on  oc- 
casions exercise  against  the  Catholics  their  ill-will  and 
poAver  of  hurting,  as  evidently  appeared  by  the  violence 
committed  in  the  riots  of  the  year  1780  [in  England.]  But 
this  disposition  of  providence  ought  to  be  received  by  the 
sufferers  in  the  view  for  which  it  is  designed,  namely,  for 
quickening  and  maintainiiig  their  zeal ;  and  it  brings  with  it 
this  comfort,  that  the  suffering  of  persecution  has  always 
been  the  characteristic  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  "  If  they 
have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  persecute  you."  John  xv.  20. 
We  have  now  seen  the  prophetical  history  of  the  reform.ation. 
The  description  is  full  and  circumstantial,  and  takes  in  the 
period  of  300  years.  In  the  first  place  was  exhibited  to  us 
its  rise ;  then  the  general  character  of  it ;  and  thirdly,  the 
nature  and  degree  of  its  power.  These  accounts  are  com- 
prised in  the  six  first  verses  of  the  ninth  chapter.  Then  fol- 
lows the  description  of  the  charncter,  temper,  and  spirit  of  the 
chief  reformers,  and  their  proselytes,  with  the  successive  a.ltera- 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  175 

tion  of  their  power,  as  settled  by  the  Almighty  hand.  Which 
account  is  traced  out  in  the  verses  7th,  8th,  9th,  and  10th,  in  an 
admirable  manner,  by  the  progressive  description  of  the  locusts 
from  head  to  tail.  This  allegorical  delineation  is  drawn  with 
such  exquisite  art,  that  it  cannot,  we  believe,  be  equalled  by 
any  thing  produced  from  profane  writers.  But  of  this  ex- 
traordinary picture  there  yet  remains  to  be  exhibited  the  last 
stroke  of  the  prophetic  pencil,  which  is:  And  they  (the  locusts) 
have  over  them  a  king,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose 
name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and  in  Greek,  Apollyon  ;  in 
Latin,  Exterminans,  that  is,  Destroyer.  St.  John,  after  "giving 
us  the  history  of  the  surprising  revolution  made  in  the  Church 
by  the  Reformation,  closes  it  by  letting  us  into  the  secret  of  the 
means,  by  which  it  was  contrived,  was  carried  on,  and  is  still 
preserved.  He  tells  us,  the  locusts  or  the  people  of  the  re- 
formation have  over  them  a  king,  Avho  is  an  angel  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  that  is,  an  angel  of  hell,  or  a  devil.  Here  then 
we  see  the  original  contriver  and  director  of  the  whole  work. 
Here  we  see  who  has  been  through  the  whole  progress  their 
prompter,  their  chief,  and  their  king.  But  who  would  envy 
them  such  a  king?  or  who  would  choose  to  be  a  subject  of 
such  a  sovereign  ?  The  name  of  this  infernal  spirit  is  even 
given;  he  is  called  Abaddon,  or  Exterminator,  Abolisher, 
Destroyer.  By  this  name  his  character  is  sufficiently  clear. 
As  pride  is  attributed  to  Lucifer,  and  to  other  fiends  are 
ascribed  special  qualities ;  so  here  the  evil  spirit,  who  is  the 
king  of  the  reformation,  is  distinguished  by  the  character  of 
exterminating  and  destroying.  One  cannot  but  lament  the 
misfortune  of  the  protestants,  in  voluntarily  admitting  over 
them  such  a  king,  and  enlisting  under  his  banner.  A  second 
misfortune  is,  they  have  been  too  faithful  in  their  allegiance. 
We  have  already  given  a  sufficient  relation  of  their  violent 
proceedings  in  the  different  countries,  where  the  reformation 
got  entrance.  We  specified  some  part  of  the  conspiracies, 
tumults,  rebellions,  and  civil  wars  it  gave  rise  to,  and  the 
subversion  of  states  which  ensued.  Could  such  scenes  be 
conducted  by  another  but  the  king  Abaddon  the  destroying 
angel  ? 

With  respect  to  the  Church,  how  many  articles  of  faith, 
which  are  reckoned  essential  to  religion,  have  they  not  ex- 
ploded, as  may  be  seen  in  the  Council  of  Trent  ?  The  holy 
sacraments  also,  those  channels  of  divine  grace,  have  they  not 
reduced  to  two,  or  rather  one,  viz.  Baptism?  the  Eucharist  in 
the  opinion  of  many  of  their  sect  containing  nothing  more 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

than  mere  bread  and  wine  ?  Even  baptism  itself  is  affirmed 
by  some  of  them  to  be  only  a  ceremony,  not  necessary  for 
salvation.  The  rites  and  ceremonies  which  form  the  exterior 
part  of  religion,  and  which  greatly  contribute  to  raise  its  dig- 
nity, and  by  impressing  an  awful  respect  on  the  minds  of  the 
faithful,  increase  their  devotion,  the  reformation  has  almost 
entirely  abolished.  They  have  exterminated  the  ,  spiritual 
jurisdiction  of  the  see  of  Rome,  acknowledged  in  all  foregoing 
ages,  and  they  have  chosen  Abaddon  for  their  governor  and 
king,  instead  of  Christ's  vicegerent.  In  the  same  manner 
they  have  exploded  part  of  the  canonical  scriptures,  church 
traditions,  councils,  fathers,  the  ecclesiastical  canons  and  dis- 
cipline. They  have  abrogated  the  most  noble  and  august 
sacrifice  which  Christ  bequeathed  to  his  church,  and  thus 
have  reduced  the  Christian  community  to  a  worse  condition 
than  either  the  Mosaic  or  patriarchal  state,  by  leaving  it  with- 
out any  sacrifice  at  all.  They  have  also  abrogated  most  of 
the  exercises  of  mortification,  so  much  recommended  by  our 
Saviour,  and  practised  by  the  apostles  and  all  antiquity;  such 
as  fasting,  abstinence,  continency,  penance,  self-denial,  &c. 
They  have  exterminated  confession,  that  great  bridle  to  licen- 
tiousness and  vice.  They  have  condemned  religious  vows  of 
poverty,  chastity,  and  obedience :  that  path  of  Christian  per- 
fection, which  has  been  trodden  by  thousands,  and  entitled  so 
many  of  them  to  the  beatitude  of  saints.  They  have  de- 
stroyed monastaries,  pulled  down  churches,  trampled  under 
foot  the  images  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  his  holy  Mother,  and  his 
Saints.  They  have  robbed  the  faithful  of  that  salutary  and 
comfortable  help  they  had  always  found  in  the  Invocation 
of  the  Saints,  by  whose  intercession,  through  the  merits  of 
Christ,  such  plentiful  graces  and  blessings  have  derived  to 
men.  They  even  dared  to  profane  with  sacrilegious  hands 
the  sacred  remains  of  the  martyrs  and  confessors  of  God. 
In  many  places  they  forcibly  took  up  the  saints'  bodies  from 
the  repositories  where  they  were  kept,  burned  them,  and 
scattered  their  ashes  abroad.  What  can  be  a  more  atrocious 
indignity  1  Are  parricides,  or  the  most  flagitious  villians, 
ever  worse  treated  ?  Thus,  among  other  instances,  in  the 
year  1562  the  Calvinists  broke  open  the  shrine  of  St.  Francis 
of  Paula,  at  Plessis-lestours,  and  finding  his  body  uncorrupted 
fifty-five  years  after  his  death,  they  dragged  it  about  the 
streets,  and  burned  it  in  a  fire  which  they  had  made  with  the 
wood  of  a  great  crucifix  ;  as  Billet  and  other  historians  relate. 
Thus,  at  Lyons,  in  the  same  year,  the  Calvinists  seized  upon 


MlSTORY  OF  THE  CHRlSTiAN  CHURCH.  177 

the  shrine  of  St.  Bonaventure,  stripped  it  of  its  riches,  burned 
his  relics  in  the  market-place,  and  threw  his  ashes  into  the 
river  Saone,  as  is  related  by  the  learned  Posseviniis,  who  was 
then  in  that  city.  The  bodies  also  of  St.  Irenceus,  St.  Hilary, 
and  St.  Martin,  as  Surius  asserts,  were  treated  in  the  same 
ignominious  manner.  Such  also  was  the  treatment  offered  to 
the  remains  of  St.  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  whose 
rich  shrine,  according  to  the  words  of  Stowe,  in  his  annals, 
"  was  taken  to  the  king's  use,  and  the  bones  of  St.  Thomas, 
by  command  of  Lord  Cromwell,  were  burnt  to  ashes,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1538,  of  Henry  Ylll.  the  thirtieth."  Thus  the  re- 
formation waged  war  against  the  dead  and  against  the  elect  of 
God;  as  if  sanctity  had  become  infamous,  and  to  have  spilt 
their  blood  in  the  cause  of  Christ  was  now  to  be  judged 
criminal. 

Thus  the  facts  evince  the  universal  devastation,  carried 
through  the  Christian  Church  by  the  reformed  religion. 
And  thus  it  appears  who  was  the  founder  of  that  new  religion, 
its  architect,  its  king,  namely,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit, 
Abaddon,  the  exterminator.  One  may  however  further  ob- 
serve that,  in  order  to  manifest  more  clearly  the  accomplish- 
ment of  this  prophecy  about  the  locusts,  Almighty  God  seems 
to  have  ordained  that  the  chiefs  of  the  reformation  should 
themselves  give  testimony  of  it.  Luther,  the  primary  head, 
avowed  and  proclaimed  to  the  world,  that  he  had  a  conference 
with  the  devil  about  some  articles  of  the  religion  he  was  then 
devising,  that  he  had  been  convinced  by  the  arguments  of  that 
spirit  of  falsehood,  and  directed  in  the  determinations  he  should 
take.  Thus  he  opens  that  famous  colloquy :  "Sometime  since," 
says  Luther,  "  I  awaked  from  my  sleep,  and  behold  the  devil, 
who  had  made  it  his  business  to  occasion  me  many  sorrowful 
and  restless  nights,  began  a  dispute  with  me  in  my  mind." 
"  Dost  thou  hear,"  said  he,  "  most  excellent  doctor  ?"  "  Dost 
thou  not  know,  that  thou  hast  said  private  masses  almost 
every  day  for  fifteen  years  together?  and  what,  if  in  those 
masses  thou  hast  practised  downright  idolatry,"  &c,  ?  Lib. 
de  Miasa  prirata,  et  sacerdotum  unctione.  Luther  answers 
the  devil  in  defending  what  he  had  done.  The  fiend  pretends 
to  prove  his  charge,  by  telling  Luther,  he  must  have  been 
guilty  of  idolatry,  because  he  had  no  true  faith  at  that  time, 
and  consequendy  no  ordination.  By  which  it  seems  that  the 
devil's  attempt  was  to  persuade  the  reformer,  that  there  was 
neither  true  faith  nor  true  ordination  in  the  Catholic  Church 
at  that  time,  when  he  professed  himself  a  member  of  it  and 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

said  mass.  As  if  the  Church  of  God  had  been  extinguished,  • 
notwithstanding  the  solemn  promise  of  Christ  that  "  the  gates 
of  hell  should  never  prevail  against  it."  The  spirit  of  dark- 
ness urges  likewise  the  unlawfulness  of  saying  a  mass,  in 
which  no  one  communicates  but  the  priest :  as  if  Christ  had 
given  any  precept  on  this  head.  But  without  taking  the 
trouble  to  confute  minutely  the  devil's  arguments,  I  presume 
every  sensible  man  will  allow  that  Luther,  instead  of  giving 
any  assent  to  them,  should  have  rejected  them  with  contempt, 
as  so  many  certain  impostures,  and  charged  his  antagonist 
with  being  the  known  enemy  of  truth.  He  should  have  re- 
buked him  at  once  with  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  "  Away 
with  thee,  Satan."  Matth.  iv.  10.  "  Thou  wast  a  murderer 
from  the  beginning,  and  thou  stoodest  not  in  the  truth ;  be- 
cause truth  is  not  in  thee;  when  thou  speakest  a  lie,  thou 
speakest  from  thy  own,  for  thou  art  a  liar,  and  the  father  of 
lies."  John  viii.  44.  But  the  reformer,  instead  of  foiling  his 
adversary  with  these  arms,  gives  him  up  the  victory,  allows 
his  own  conviction,  and  triumphs  in  the  imaginary  discovery; 
concluding  thus :  by  these  means  "  we  are  freed  from  private 
masses,  and  from  the  ordination  of  bishops — Let  them  con- 
sider how  they  can  defend  their  Church."  And  from  that 
time  he  desisted  from  saying  mass. 

Zuinglius,  in  like  manner,  while  he  was  in  great  perplexity 
and  deep  meditation  how  to  explode  the  real  presence  in  the 
Eucharist,  was  furnished  with  an  argument  for  that  purpose 
by  a  nocturnal  monitor,  "  whether  black  or  white  he  did  not 
remember;"  as  he  relates  himself.  Lib.  de  subsidio  Euchar. 

The  whole  explication  here  given  of  the  allegory  of  the 
locusts,  we  presume,  appears  so  consonant  to  the  history  of 
the  reformation,  that  the  propriety  of  it  will  not  be  denied. 
Nor  ought  the  author  to  be  censured  for  presumption,  since 
he  is  not  the  first  Vv'ho  has  thus  applied  that  prophecy.  La 
Chetardie  did  so,  about  the  end  of  the  last  century.  Bellar- 
mine  did  the  same  towards  the  end  of  the  century  before,  and 
others  had  preceded  him,  as  he  testifies.  In  general,  it  appears 
from  the  Avriters  of  that  period,  that,  no  sooner  did  the  nume- 
rous tribe  of  reformed  religionists  spring  forth,  than  the  Catho- 
lics, as  if  by  a  sudden  inspiration,  judged  they  saw  the  locusts 
of  the  Apocalypse.  The  application  is  evTn  so  obvious,  that  the 
learned  protestant  divine.  Dr.  Walton,  used  it  for  describing  the 
multitude  of  new  sectaries,  that  swarmed  out  of  the  English 
Church.  Thus  speaks  he  in  the  preface  to  his  Polyglot: 
"  The  bottomless  pit  seems  to  have  been  set  open,  from  whence 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  179 

a  smoke  has  arisen  which  has  darkened  the  heavens  and  the 
stars,  and  locusts  are  come  out  with  sting-s,  a  numerous  race 
of  sectaries  and  heretics,  who  have  renewed  all  the  ancient 
heresies,  and  invented  many  monstrous  opinions  of  their  own. 
These  have  filled  our  cities,  villages,  camps,  houses,  nay  our 
pulpits  too,  and  lead  the  poor  deluded  people  with  them  to  the 
pit  of  perdition." 

The  short  sketches  we  have  given  from  the  general  history 
of  the  reformation  for  the  illustration  of  the  text,  we  hope 
will  be  deemed  suffi^jient,  especially  considering  the  limits  of 
this  work.  It  would  be  endless  to  attempt  a  narrative  of  all 
the  different  parties  into  w^hich  the  reformation  has  been  split. 
They  are  not  even  to  be  enumerated.  But  one  may  in  general 
observe,  that  its  case  is  the  same  with  that  of  all  the  heresies 
in  preceding  ages.  Variation  was  always  their  character. 
Thus  it  was  with  the  Arians,  with  the  Pelagians,  Avith  the 
Eutychians,  &c.  They  never  remained  steady  to  their  first 
plan  of  religion,  nor  could  they  keep  their  proselytes  Avithin 
the  boundaries  they  first  prescribed  to  them.  St.  Hilary, 
writing  to  the  Emperor  Constantius,  thus  speaks  of  the  Ari- 
ans :  "  Your  case  is  the  same  with  that  of  unskilful  architects, 
who  are  never  pleased  with  their  own  work ;  you  do  nothing 
but  build  up  and  pull  down. — There  are  now  as  many  models 
of  faith  as  men,  as  great  a  variety  of  doctrines  as  manners; 
we  have  yearly  and  monthly  creeds;  we  repent  of  our  old 
creeds,  w^e  frame  new  ones,  and  those  again  we  condemn." 
Such  was  the  confusion  among  the  Arians.  The  number  of 
different  confessions  of  faith  made  by  the  Lutherans  and  the 
other  reformed  churches,  demonstrates  in  like  manner  the  in- 
stability of  their  doctrine.  They  never  could  agree  among 
themselves,  nor  could  they  ever  settle  their  tenets ;  as  is  fully 
shown  and  related  in  the  "  History  of  the  Variations"  by  the 
celebrated  Bishop  of  Meaux.  Not  content  with  what  they 
pretended  to  have  reformed,  they  would  still  go  on  reforming, 
Avithout  knowing  where  to  stop.  But  indeed  what  wonder 
that  people  are  bewildered,  when  they  have  no  sure  guide  to 
direct  them  ?  The  Church  which  Christ  had  commanded 
every  body  to  hear,*  they  had  left,  and  thus  became  solitary, 
they  wandered  in  unknown  paths  into  Vvhich  the  spirit  of  se- 
duction led  them.  Faith  is  one,  but  error  easily  multiplies, 
having  the  devil  for  its  parent,  who  hates  truth  and  concord. 
Abaddon,  who  contrived  and  conducted  the  reformation,  was 
also  the  author  of  its  divisions  and  contradictions,  and  the 
♦Matt,  xviii.  17.  and  Luke  x.  16. 


180  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

•'  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all  its  prophets."  3  Kings  xxxii 
22.  He  still  continues  to  actuate  it  in  the  same  manner ;  and 
hence  we  see  rise  up  every  day  new  teachers,  who,  dissatisfied 
with  what  they  find  established,  are  ever  proposing  amend- 
ments and  innovations.  What  idea  can  we  form  of  a  relig-ion 
or  an  institution  composed  of  such  a  number  of  dissonant  parts ; 
and,  cameleon  like,  varying  its  colours  every  day?  What 
idea,  I  say,  can  we  form  of  it,  but  of  a  monster,  such  as  St. 
John  describes  it  under  the  type  of  a  frightful  deformed  locust, 
which  has  a  man's  face,  a  woman's  hair,  a  lion's  teeth,  an 
iron  breast,  and  a  scorpion  for  its  tail  ?  In  fine,  the  license  of 
judging  for  himself  being  the  claim  of  every  member  of  the 
new  religion,  what  could  it  produce,  but  what  experience 
shows  to  have  really  happened,  a  defection  from  all  religion? 
Some,  uneasy  under  any  restraint,  declare  themselves  indiffer- 
ent to  every  form  of  doctrine  and  worship,  and  are  styled 
"  Latitudinarians ;"  others,  contenting  themselves  with  the 
simple  belief  of  a  God,  renounce  all  divine  revelation,  and 
are  denominated  "  Deists"  or  "  Free-thinkers ;"  and  some  are 
even  said  to  be  sunk  into  mere  materialism,  that  is,  to  believe 
no  future  state  at  all.  "  They  who  have  made  bold  with  one 
article  of  faith,"  said  St.  Vincent  of  Lerins  in  the  fifth  century, 
"  will  proceed  on  to  others  ;  and  what  will  be  the  consequence 
of  this  reforming  of  religion,  but  only  that  these  refiners  will 
never  have  done,  till  they  have  reformed  it  quite  away?" 
Common,  c.  29. 

How  different  is  the  government  and  proceeding  of  the 
Catholic  Church  !  Founded  on  the  rock  which  is  Christ,  and 
governed  by  him  according  to  his  promise,  she  is  always  uni- 
form and  unanimous  in  her  doctrine.  Her  faith  is  always  the 
same.  She  received  it  from  her  divine  Founder,  and  she  pre- 
serves the  sacred  depositum  inviolable.  No  jarring  opinions, 
no  innovations  are  allowed  on  that  head.  When  a  dogmati- 
cal point  is  to  be  determined,  she  speaks  but  once,  and  her 
decree  is  irrevocable.  The  first  general  council  of  Nice  de- 
clared her  faith  against  the  Arians  ;  the  council  of  Constanti- 
nople against  the  Macedonians ;  the  council  of  Ephesus 
against  the  Nestorians  ;  that  of  Chalcedon  against  the  Eu- 
tychians;  the  second  of  Nice  against  the  Iconoclasts:  and  so 
through  the  whole  period  of  the  Christian  aera.  These 
solemn  determinations  have  remained  unalterable,  and  will 
ever  be  so.  Pursuing  invariably  the  same  course,  she  assem- 
bled in  a  general  council  at  Trent  in  1545,  where,  having" 
examined  the  principal  articles  of  the  new  reformed  doctrine, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  181 

slie  pronounced  them  heretical,  and  condemned  them  as  such : 
and  this  decision  will  stand  an  unperishable  monument  of 
Hie  true  faith  against  the  protestant  religion  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Now  we  must  add  another  observation.  Let  us  take  notice 
that  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  who  was  the  author  of 
the  reformation,  is  by  our  prophet  named  in  Hebrew,  Abad- 
don, and  in  Greek,  Apollyon.*  Now,  though  the  Greek 
word  Apollyon  means  the  same  as  the  Hebrew  word  Abad- 
don, viz.  destroyer,  nevertheless,  from  the  extraordinary  con- 
ciseness used  throughout  the  whole  Apocalypse,  one  may  cer- 
tainly conclude  that  St.  John  means  something  particular  in 
giving  the  name  of  that  hellish  fiend  in  two  languages.  Let 
as  now  observe,  that  the  Hebrew  language  preceded  the  Greek. 
That  fiend  therefore  acted  his  part,  first,  under  his  name 
Abaddon,  in  setting  up  the  reformation.  Let  us  now  take  a 
view  of  the  second  of  his  mischievous  operations  under  the 
name  of  Apollyon,  or  destroyer.  To  see  this  we  need  onl}'' 
cast  our  eyes  upon  what  has  lately  happened  in  several  coun- 
tries, as  in  Germany,  and  especially  in  France,  where  Apol- 
lyon has  raised  such  a  spirit  of  licentious  liberty,  wild 
independence,  and  introduced  such  a  decay  of  religion,  that 
immense  evils  have  followed.  What  excesses!  What  extrava- 
gances have  thence  originated !  What  blasphemies  against 
the  Almighty!  What  contempt  of  his  worship!  both  divine 
and  human  laws  trampelled  under  foot.  What  Luciferian 
pride  and  arrogance  in  rebelling  against  their  Creator  and 
their  God,  and  even  denying  his  existence.  What  impious 
and  inhuman  proceedings  against  his  vicegerent !  Combina- 
tions and  conspiracies  against  sovereign  princes  and  go- 
vernments! Persecutions  against  the  ministers  of  religion! 
Cruelty  in  despoiling  their  fellow-creatures  of  their  property, 
and  spilling  their  blood  by  murders  and  massacres! 

These  are  the  horrible  devastations  operated  by  that  infer- 
nal fiend  under  his  character  of  Apollyon,  destroyer,  which 
make  up  the  second  part  of  his  agency. — In  the  primitive 
ages  of  Christianity,  Satan  upheld  idolatry,  and  opposed  with 
all  his  might  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  religion.  He 
raised  cruel  persecutions  against  the  Christian  proselytes: 
but  finding  himself  foiled  and  defeated  in  all  his  efforts,  he 
then  turned  his  hellish  malice  another  way,  and  set  to  work 

*His  Latin  name,  Exterminans,  there  subjoined,  is  not  in  the  ong:nal 
text :  it  has  been  added  merely  by  way  of  interpreting  the  meaning  of  the 
words,  Abaddon  and  Apollyon. 
16 


1^  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

to  divide  the  Christians  among  themselves,  to  suscitate  intes- 
tine quarrels,  heresies,  flames  of  mutual  hatred,  and  exciting- 
them  to  persecute  one  another  with  furious  violence. — In  a 
similar  manner  that  angel  of  the  abyss,  which  Satan  has 
employed  as  his  agent  in  this  fifth  period  of  the  Christian 
Church,  in  his  character  of  Abaddon,  effected  his  first  de- 
structive work  of  the  reformation.  When  stopped  and  not 
allowed  to  make  further  progress  in  that  pursuit,  he  then  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  agency  has  machinated  and  contrived  to 
throw  division  among  the  Catholics  themselves  in  different 
countries,  particularly  in  that  ancient  and  once  flourishing 
Catholic  kingdom  of  France ;  and  it  is  well  known  through- 
out the  whole  world,  what  pernicious  effects  have  been  the 
consequence 

V.  12.  "One  wo  is  past."  The  period  of  300  years  as- 
signed to  the  power  of  the  locusts,  being  expired,  St.  John 
then  adds:  "one  wo  is  past."  Before  the  angel  sounded 
the  fifth  trumpet,  see  p.  141,  three  woes  were  pronounced  to 
follow  the  sounding  of  the  three  last  trumpets,  namely,  fifth, 
sixth,  and  seventh.  And  now  the  prophet  tells  us,  that  the 
first  of  these  woes,  which  was  announced  by  the  fifth  trumpet, 
is  past.  This  wo  therefore  is  the  calamity  occasioned  by  the 
swarm  of  locusts.  I  leave  it  to  the  reader  to  determine, 
whether  the  breaches  and  desolation  made  in  the  Church  of 
Christ,  as  we  have  seen,  by  the  reformation,  be  not  truly  a  dis- 
mal woe,  and  worse  than  any  that  has  happened  in  the  fore- 
going ages.  Some  part  of  this  wo  must  also  be  referred  to 
the  convulsions  that  happened  in  different  countries,  particu- 
larly in  France,  and  the  impious  attacks  made  there  upon 
religion,  as  explained  above. 

When  one  reflects  that,  of  the  three  hundred  years  allowed 
to  the  reign  of  the  locusts,  there  remain  only  fifty  or  fifty-five 
to  run,*  one  cannot  but  wish  with  an  eai*nest  heart  that  the 
people  represented  by  those  insects  would  enter  into  a  serious 
consideration  of  that  circumstance.  What  a  happiness !  if, 
rlnrino-  this  short  remaining  interval,  some  part  of  them  at 
least  would  submit  to  see  their  errors,  and  the  great  mischief 
that  has  been  done  to  the  Church  by  their  revolt  against  it. 
It  is  full  time  to  lay  down  all  animosity  against  their  ancient 
mother,  think  of  a  reconciliation,  and  ask  to  be  received  again 
into  her  bosom.  She  is  an  indulgent  parent,  and  her  arms 
are  always  open,  even  to  her  rebellious  children,  when  they 
come  in  tears  to  implore  her  forgiveness.  They  should  be 
*This  work  was  first  printed  in  the  year  1771. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  183 

sensible,  that  Christ  is  not  only  the  protector  of  his  beloved 
spouse,  the  Church,  but  also  the  avenger  of  the  injuries  done 
to  her.  This  power  he  has  frequently  exerted.  The  four 
preceding  ages  furnish  us  with  the  most  evident  proofs  of  it, 
under  the  respective  four  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God.  She  was 
revenged  in  the  punishment  of  her  persecutors,  the  Roman 
emperors,  in  the  first  age.  The  Arians,  who  impugned  her 
faith  and  harassed  her  cruelly  in  the  second  age,  felt  also  the 
avenging  hand  of  the  Son  of  God,  whom  with  his  Church 
they  had  blasphemed:  after  sore  calamities,  they  were  doomed 
to  sink  into  annihilation.  The  third  age  exhibited  to  us  a 
most  conspicuous  exertion  of  a  two-edged  sword  of  Christ,  in 
the  destruction  of  the  cruel  idolatrous  Romans,  for  their 
having  spilt  the  blood  of  his  and  his  spouses  children.  The 
fourth  age  was  distinguished  by  the  punishment  of  the  Greeks 
for  their  rebellion  against  the  same  Church,  and  the  world 
still  sees  them  groaning  under  slavery  for  their  inflexible 
obstinacy.  Such  having  been  the  conduct  of  the  supreme 
guardian  of  his  Church  through  the  course  of  all  the  Christ- 
ian ages,  is  it  not  an  object  of  consideration  highly  interesting 
to  the  protestants,  lest  some  such  disaster  should  also  be  their 
fate?  The  Saviour  of  mankind  waits  with  patience  for  the 
return  of  his  strayed  sheep,  but  their  obstinacy  at  last  forces 
his  hand  to  strike.  Unhappy  children  of  the  reformation ! 
refuse  not  to  hear  the  wholesome  advice  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah :  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord,  while  he  may  be  found  ;  call 
upon  him,  while  he  is  near,"  Iv.  6.  Hear  the  voice  of  God 
speaking  of  Israel,  and  make  the  application :  "  Return,  O 
virgin  of  Israel,  return  to  thy  cities,"  Jerem.  xxxi.  21.  And 
again:  "Be  converted,  O  house  of  Israel,  and  do  penance 
for  all  your  iniquities;  and  iniquity  shall  not  be  your  ruin. 
Cast  away  from  you  all  your  transgressions,  by  which  you 
have  transgressed,  and  make  to  yourselves  a  new  heart,  and 
a  new  spirit:  and  why  will  you  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ?  For 
I  desire  nyt  the  death  of  him  that  dieth,  saith  the  Lord  God; 
return  ye,  and  live."  Ezech.  xviii.  30,  31,  32.  But  if,  deaf 
to  all  admonitions,  they  continue  hardened  in  their  own  ways, 
what  remains  to  be  done  but  to  lament  their  misfortune,  and 
in  bitterness  of  soul  turn  our  eyes  from  the  pouring  out  of 
the  following  vial : 

The  pouring  out  of  the  fifth  Vial  of  the  Wrath  of  God. 
Apoc.  chap.  xvi.  10.  "And  the  fifth  angel,  (says  St.  John,) 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  seat*  of  the  beast :  and  his  king- 
dom became  dark,  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain. 

V.  11.  "And  they  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven,  because 
of  their  pains  and  wounds,  and  did  not  penance  for  their 
works." 

Here  the  angel  pours  out  the  fifth  vial  of  the  wrath  of 
God  on  the  seat  of  the  beast,  or  rather,  according  to  the  Greek 
text,  on  the  throne  of  the  beast.  We  ha va#  observed  in  the 
prelude  to  the  vials,  see  fage  34,  that  the  general  term  beast, 
has  a  double  meaning,  signifying  idolatry  or  heresy,  accord- 
ingly as  either,  like  to  a  wild  beast,  makes  its  ravages  in 
the  Church.  In  the  first  and  third  ages  it  denoted  idolatry, 
the  subject  of  the  history  of  those  two  ages.  Here  it  is  the 
image  of  heresy,  the  heresy  of  the  reformation,  the  charac- 
teristic of  the  fifth  age.  Upon  the  throne  therefore  of  this 
beast  the  vial  is  poured  out,  that  is,  upon  the  kings  and  go- 
ernors  of  the  protestant  states,  as  they  are  the  persons  that  sit, 
vested  with  power,  upon  the  thrones  of  those  heretical  king- 
doms. They,  however,  are  themselves  subordinate  to  their 
chief  Abaddon,  who,  as  was  specified  in  the  text  of  the  trum- 
pet, commands  over  all,  and  sits  upon  the  throne  as  king  par- 
amount. The  protestant  states  become,  of  course,  involved 
with  their  princes  in  the  calamities  poured  out  from  the  vial, 
as  w^e  shall  see  presently. 

But  furthermore  we  may  observe  that,  besides  the  single 
and  general  appellation  of  beast  used  here  to  express  heresy, 
the  prophet  exhibits  to  us  in  the  trumpet  of  this  age  a  particu- 
lar beast,  by  which  he  represents  and  describes  the  heresy  of 
the  reformation,  namely,  a  locust-monster,  which  is  partly  lo- 
cust, partly  human,  partly  leonine,  and  partly  scorpionic. 

Besides  the  obvious  propriety  of  the  above  explication  oi 
the  vial,  a  further  argument  may  be  adduced  in  confirmation 
of  it.  Though  the  different  prophecies  of  the  Apocalypse  are 
involved  in  obscurity,  yet  one  may  observe  the  inspired  wri- 
ter generally  throws  in  some  glimpses  of  light  to  guide  the 
solicitous  inquirer.  Thus  may  be  remarked  a  fixed  connex- 
ion between  the  trumpets  of  the  different  ages  and  the  respec- 
tive vials,  of  which  we  have  already  taken  some  notice.  This 
consists  in  the  use  of  the  same  expression  in  the  trumpet  and 
vial  of  the  same  age;  which  naturally  leads  us  to  the  distin- 
guishing of  the  object  on  which  the  vial  is  poured.  This  ob- 
ject, if  not  precisely  the  same  as  mentioned  in  the  trumpet,  it 
has  at  least  a  direct  relation  to  it.  In  general,  the  vial  has  for 
♦  In  the  Greek  "  the  throne." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  185 

object  the  guilty  part  which  is  to  be  punished,  and  which  is 
always  pointed  out  in  the  trumpet.  Examples  will  elucidate 
the  present  observation.  In  the  first  trumpet  it  is  said,  that 
hail  and  fire,  mixed  with  blood,  were  cast  upon  the  earth. 
In  like  manner  the  first  vial  was  poured  out  upon  the  earth. 
The  same  term,  the  earth,  occurring  in  both,  indicates  that, 
as  the  trumpet  described  the  persecutions  exercised  by  the 
Roman  emperors  and  magistrates  on  the  Christian  part  of  the 
earth,  so  these  emperors  and  magistrates,  who  are  the  guilty 
part  of  the  earth,  and  plainly  alluded  to  in  the  trumpet,  are 
the  object  of  punishment  on  which  the  vial  is  poured.  After 
the  same  manner,  at  the  sounding  of  the  second  trumpet,  a 
great  fiery  mountain  was  cast  into  the  sea :  and  the  second 
vial  is  also  poured  out  upon  the  sea.  From  whence  one  may 
collect  that,  as  Arianism,  signified  by  the  fiery  mountain,  in- 
fected a  third  part  of  the  Christian  sea ;  so  upon  the  Arians, 
who  are  there  exhibited  as  the  guilty  part  of  the  sea,  the  vial 
is  poured.  Again,  the  third  trumpet  announced  a  great  star, 
burning  like  a  torch,  falling  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of 
waters.  In  like  manner  the  third  vial  is  poured  upon  the  ri- 
vers and  fountains  of  waters.  The  trumpet  here  describes  the 
desolation  carried  on  by  the  barbarians  through  the  guilty 
heathen  Roman  empire  ;  therefore  on  this  same  empire  is  the 
vial  poured.  Lastly,  at  the  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet 
the  sun  was  smitten  ;  and  the  fourth  vial  was  also  poured  out 
upon  the  sun.  The  allegory,  used  here  in  the  trumpet,  de- 
notes the  schism  of  the  Greeks ;  upon  them,  therefore,  as  the 
guilty,  the  vial  is  poured ;  or  rather,  it  is  poured  on  the  in- 
strument of  the  scourge,  to  fit  it  for  execution.  This  con- 
stant relation  observed  between  the  above-mentioned  trumpets 
and  vials,  holds  equally  between  the  fifth  trumpet  and  vial. 
In  the  trumpet  we  see  the  locusts  are  ruled  by  a  king,  the  an- 
gel of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  is  Abaddon.  The  vial 
is  poured  out  upon  the  throne  of  the  beast,  and  his  kingdom 
becomes  dark.  On  one  side  then  we  have  the  king  of  the 
locusts :  on  the  other  side  we  have  the  throne  and  the  king- 
dom. Hence  appears  the  connexion  between  the  fifth  trum- 
pet and  fifth  vial.  This  vial  is  therefore  poured  out  upon  the 
princes  and  the  states  of  the  locust  kingdom. 

In  fine,  we  saw  in  the  first  trumpet  the  Roman  emperors 
persecuting  the  Christian  religion;  and  the  first  vial  was 
poured  upon  them.  In  the  second  trumpet  we  saw  the  Ari- 
ans rebelling  against  the  Church  ;  and  the  second  vial  was 
poured  upon  them.  In  the  third  trumpet  we  saw  the  Roman 
•  16* 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

empire  declining  on  account  of  its  idolatry  and  enmity  to 
Christianity;  and  the  third  vial  was  poured  upon  it,  to  ex- 
tinguish it.  In  the  fourth  trumpet  we  saw  the  revolt  of  the 
Greeks  against  the  Church,  and  the  fourth  vial  punished 
them.  In  the  fifth  trumpet  we  see  the  protestants  revolting 
against  the  Church  ;  upon  whom  then  must  the  fifth  vial  fall? 

The  vial  being  poured  upon  the  throne  of  the  beast,  it  flows 
down  from  thence  over  his  whole  kingdom,  the  realm  of  the 
reformation.  For,  "  his  kingdom  became  dark,  and  they 
gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain."  But  with  respect  to  the  na- 
ture of  this  punishment,  we  shall  be  entirely  silent,  and  leave 
it  to  be  disclosed  by  the  event.  We  shall  only  remark  that, 
to  judge  from  the  expression  of  the  text,  the  scourge  seems  to 
be  severe,  and  w'e  are  extremely  sorry  it  will  be  so  ill  recei- 
ved:  "And  they  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven,  because  of 
their  pains  and  wounds,  (or  sores,)  and  did  not  penance  for 
their  works." 

We  shall  here  add  another  remark.  The  expression,  they 
gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  or  rather,  as  it  is  in  the  Greek 
original,  they  did  gnaw  their  tongues  for  pain,  seems  to  refer 
to  a  time  prior  to  that  which  follows,  and  is  thus  expressed, 
they  blasphemed,  &c.  and  may  therefore  relate  to  the  first 
part  of  the  punishments  imported  by  this  vial,  which  may  be 
the  scourge  inflicted  on  the  French  people,  and  perhaps  others, 
and  seems  to  indieate  distress  of  famine,  &c. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE     HISTORY     OF     THE      SIXTH     AGE     OF     THE    CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

Hitherto  the  account  we  find  in  history  of  the  different 
ages,  has  contributed  to  explain  the  prophecies  relating  to 
them  :  but  with  respect  to  the  age  we  are  now  entering  upon, 
as  it  yet  remains  sealed  up  in  the  womb  of  futurity,  we  can 
have  no  light  but  what  must  be  drawn  from  the  prophecies 
themselves.  And  because  prophecies  are  generally  concei- 
ved in  few  words,  and  those  veiled  with  obscurity,  it  cannot 
be  expected  we  should  give  so  clear  and  comprehensive  a  his- 
tory of  the  sixth  age,  as  has  been  done  in  the  preceding  pe>- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  187 

riods.  We  may  however  acknowledge  here  an  unexpected 
assistance,  which  was  not  allowed  us  before,  inasmuch  as  that 
part  of  the  Apocalypse  which  treats  of  the  sixth  age,  seems 
to  be  expressed  in  somewhat  clearer  terms  than  any  other,  at 
least  it  appears  so  to  us.  The  reason  we  may  conceive  to  be, 
that  the  Almighty  revealer  of  it  is  willing  to  give  us  before- 
hand a  tolerable  intelligence  of  transactions  that  will  touch  us 
so  nearly,  and  will  be  more  terrible  and  trying  to  human  na- 
ture, than  any  that  have  ever  happened.  By  a  previous, 
though  imperfect,  knowledge  of  dreadful  calamities,  we  are 
warned  to  prepare  for  them.  An  impending  evil,  even  the 
sentence  of  death  itself,  is  less  alarming  when  foreseen  and 
expected.  On  that  account  therefore  the  divine  bounty  is 
pleased  to  be  more  copious  and  explicit  in  the  revelations 
about  the  sixth  age ;  and  our  prospect  of  it  is  further  enlarged 
by  many  particular  scenes  to  be  found  in  the  ancient  prophets, 
which  concur  to  throw  an  additional  light  over  the  whole  pic- 
ture. These  are  helps  which,  doubtless,  serve  in  some  mea- 
sure to  promote  and  facilitate  the  present  work ;  but  it  must  be 
confessed,  the  obscurity  that  still  remains  is  such,  and  other 
difficulties  so  numerous,  as  necessarily  to  demand  the  indul- 
gence of  the  critic. 

The  preceding  five  ages  opened  with  the  transactions  con- 
tained under  their  respective  seals.     In  like  manner  we  shall 
now  begin  the  epocha  of  the  sixth  and  the  last  age  of  the 
Church  in  this  world,  with  the  events  announced  at  the  open 
ing  of  the  sixth  seal. 

The  Opening  of  the  Sixth  Seal. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  12.  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  when 
he  (the  Lamb)  had  opened  the  sixth  seal :  and  behold  there 
was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  sun  became  black  as  sack- 
cloth of  hair  :  and  the  whole  moon  became  as  blood. 

V,  13.  "  And  the  stars  from  heaven  fell  upon  the  earth,  as 
the  fig-tree  casteth  its  green  figs  when  it  is  shaken  by  a  great 
wind: 

V.  14.  "And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  book  folded  up ; 
and  every  mountain  and  the  islands  were  moved  out  of  their 
places. 

V.  15.  "  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  princes,  and 
tribunes,  and  the  rich,  and  the  strong,  and  every  bondman, 
and  every  freeman,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens,  and  in  the 
rocks  of  mountains. 

V    16.  "And  they  say  to  the  mountains,  and  the  rocks: 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

fall  upon  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb. 

V.  17.  "  For  the  great  day  of  their  wrath*  is  come,  and 
who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?" 

Here  are  stupendous  prodigies  and  dreadful  disasters  an- 
nounced, many  of  which  cannot  be  now  clearly  explained, 
but  will  be  very  conspicuous  to  those  who  shall  exist  at  that 
time.  They  are  the  forerunners  of  the  approaching  general 
dissolution  of  the  world,  and  are  employed  to  announce  the 
last  terrible  judgment,  and  to  admonish  mankind  to  prepare 
for  it.  If  the  idea,  which  is  conveyed  to  us  by  the  simple 
description  of  these  wonders,  strikes  us  with  terror,  how 
dreadful  must  they  appear  when  they  really  happen  !  great 
earthquakes ;  the  sun  darkened  to  such  a  degree  as  if 
covered  with  black  hair-cloth,  and  the  moon  reddening  like 
blood :  the  stars  seeming  to  fall  from  the  heavens  as  thick 
as  green  figs  are  shaken  from  the  trees  in  a  hurricane  of 
wind :  the  sky  appearing  to  fold  up  like  a  roll  of  parchment ; 
and  all  the  mountains  and  islands  moved  out  of  their  places, 
perhaps  by  earthquakes  and  extremely  vehement  agitations  of 
the  sea.  These  tremendous  phenomena,  some  real,  others 
appearing  to  the  human  eye,  show  the  violent  convulsions 
nature  will  sustain,  and  the  general  confusion  of  the  whole 
created  system.  At  the  sight  of  such  events,  what  wonder 
if  the  wicked  of  every  rank  and  denomination  run  to  hide 
themselves  for  fear,  as  St.  John  tells  us,  and  from  the  con- 
sciousness of  their  guilt  suspect  the  great  day  is  arrived,  and 
that  the  Almighty  is  coming  to  judgment,  which  will  make 
them  wish  that  the  mountains  and  rocks  would  fall  upon  them, 
to  shelter  them  from  the  face  of  their  angry  God,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb. 

The  description  here  given  by  our  Christian  prophet  seems 
to  specify  only  the  principal  and  most  terrible  of  the  signs 
and  calamities  that  will  happen  in  the  last  period  of  the 
world :  and  in  them  one  may  understand  are  comprehended 
those  that  are  of  a  less  destructive  and  terrifying  nature. 
Some  or  other  of  these  alarms  we  may  suppose  will  open  the 
sixth  age,  and  will  serve  to  fix  the  date  of  the  epocha.  They 
will  continue  to  alarm  mankind  at  different  times  during 
the  course  of  that  period,  to  remind  them  of  the  approaching 
end  of  the  world.  We  may  also  observe  that  some  of  these 
striking  events  are  likeAvise  announced  by  the  ancient  pro- 
phets, and  shall  be  taken  notice  of  in  proper  places.  The 
♦  In  the  Greek,  "  his  wrath." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  189 

extraordinary  signs  and  prodigies  both  in  the  heavens  and 
on  the  earth  here  described,  evidently  speak  the  majesty  and 
power  of  him,  whose  approaching  coming  they  are  de- 
signed to  announce.  They  therefore  necessarily  tend  to 
reflect  that  glory  on  the  Lamb,  which  was  said  to  be  his  due. 
Apoc.  V.  12. 

The  nature  of  the  subject  seems  to  require  we  should  sub- 
join to  the  preceding  account  that  other,  which  our  Saviour 
himself  gives  of  the  same  or  similar  prodigies.  The  assem- 
blage of  both  will  contribute  to  enlarge  our  knowledge  of 
that  interesting  subject ;  and  the  comparison  of  them  may 
serve  as  a  proof,  that  the  expressions  used  by  St.  John  are  to 
be  taken  in  their  natural  acceptation,  and  not  in  a  metapho- 
rical sense,  as  some  might  imagine  ;  many  of  his  expressions 
being  similar  to  those  of  our  Saviour,  which  have  been 
generally  understood  in  their  natural  sense. 

The  account  which  Christ  delivered  of  the  prodigies  we 
are  speaking  of,  is  to  be  found  in  St.  Matthew,  chap.  24.  St. 
Mark,  chap.  13,  and  St.  Luke,  chap.  21.  His  disciples 
having  asked  him  by  what  signs  they  should  know  the  ap- 
proaching ruin  of  Jerusalem,  and  also  Avhat  signs  would 
precede  the  general  dissolution  of  the  world,  Christ  answers 
both  questions.  But  in  the  first  part  of  his  answer  he  seems 
to  assign  the  same  prodigies  for  announcing  both  those 
events  :  as  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  may  be  a  very  ex- 
pressive figure  of  the  destruction  of  the  world.  And  in  this 
sense  the  holy  fathers  have  explained  his  discourse.  In  the 
latter  part  of  his  answer,  Christ  seems  to  confine  himself 
solely  to  the  pointing  out  of  the  signs,  which  will  be  the 
presages  of  the  approaching  end  of  all  things. 

He  thus  begins  his  discourse :  "  Take  heed  that  no  man 
seduce  you.  For  many  will  come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am 
He,  I  am  Christ ;  and  the  time  is  at  hand  ;  and  they  will 
seduce  many :  go  you  not  therefore  after  them."  The  ap- 
pearance of  false  Christs  or  false  Messiahs  was  then  the  first 
mentioned  by  our  Saviour,  and  first  warning  of  the  ap- 
proaching fate  of  Jerusalem.  That  many  such  impostors 
rose  up  in  Judea  before  the  demolition  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans,  we  learn  from  Josephus,  in  his  history  of  the  Jewish 
wars.  It  is  here  the  opinion  of  the  holy  fathers,  that  Christ 
intended  also  to  intimate  by  the  preceding  words,  that  false 
Christs  will  arise  in  a  similar  manner  in  the  last  age  of  the 
world,  and  be  a  sign  of  its  approaching  end. 

Our    Saviour    proceeds :    "  You    shall    hear    of  wars 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

and  rumours  of  wars :  See  that  you  be  not  troubled.  For 
these  things  must  come  to  pass,  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 
For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against 
kingdom  ;  and  there  shall  be  pestilences,  and  famines,  and 
great  earthquakes  in  divers  places,  and  terrors  from  heaven, 
and  there  shall  be  great  signs."  These  calamities  happened 
before  the  ruin  of  Jerusalem,  as  the  above-mentioned  Jewish 
historian  testifies.  The  same  will  likewise  be  experienced, 
it  is  supposed,  in  the  last  age.  But  Christ  adds  :  "  Now  all 
these  things  are  the  beginnings  of  sorrows."  Though  great 
evils,  they  are  only  to  be  deemed  the  prelude  of  greater. 
Then  he  goes  on  :  "  But  before  all  these  things  they  will  lay 
their  hands  on  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  put  jj-outo  death," 
&c.  Here  are  the  persecutions  foretold,  which  fell  upon 
the  apostles  and  first  Christians.  The  same  will  likewise 
rage  in  a  more  fierce  manner  hereafter  under  Antichrist. 

"  And  many  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and  shall  seduce 
many:  and  because  iniquity  hath  abounded,  the  charity  of 
many  shall  grow  cold."  From  this  rise  of  false  prophets  or 
teachers  of  false  doctrine,  and  the  abounding  of  wickedness, 
before  the  fall  of  the  Jewish  nation,  it  is  concluded  by 
the  holy  fathers  that  similar  unhappy  circumstances  will  take 
place  before  the  finishing  of  the  world.  And;  indeed,  that 
false  prophets  or  false  teachers  will  then  arise,  we  shall  see  it 
again  expressed  in  the  sequel  of  our  Saviour's  discourse;  and 
that  iniquity  will  likewise  abound,  is  fully  intimated  by  what 
Christ  said  on  another  occasion :  "  When  the  Son  of  Man 
cometh,  shall  he  find,  think  you,  faith  on  the  earth  V 
Luke  xviii.  8. 

"  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  for  a  testimony  to  all  nations,  and  then  shall 
the  consummation  come."  A  new  people  of  Christians  was 
to  be  formed  by  preaching  the  gospel,  before  the  Jews,  the 
ancient  people  of  God,  were  rejected,  and  their  city  and 
temple  abolished.  The  gospel  will  likewise  be  preached  with 
extraordinary  zeal  in  the  latter  times  over  the  whole  earth, 
to  stem  the  prevalence  of  imposture  and  depravity  of  morals, 
and  to  oppose  in  particular  the  furious  efforts  of  Antichrist 
against  religion. 

"  When  therefore  you  shall  see  the  abomination  of  deso- 
lation, which  was  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  standing 
in  the  holy  place,  he  that  readeth,  lot  him  understand.  When 
you  shall  see  Jerusalem  compassed  about  with  an  army, 
then  know  that  the  desolation  thereof  is  at  hand."     Here 


HISTORY  OP  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  191 

our  Saviour  points  out  to  his  disciples  the  most  immediate 
sign  by  which  they  might  know,  that  the  ruin  of  Jerusalem 
was  near  at  hand  ;  namely,  when  they  should  see  an  idolatrous 
army  arrive,  with  its  heathenish  gods,  which  are  the  abomi- 
nation of  desolation,  and  invest  Jerusalem,  that  city  which 
was  always  styled  the  holy  place,  or  holy  city.  We  shall  see 
hereafter  that  Antichrist  will  also  set  up  what  is  called  "  the 
abomination  of  desolation." 

"  Then  they  that  are  in  Judea,"  continues  Christ,  "  let 
them  flee  to  the  mountains.  For  there  shall  be  then  great 
tribulation,  such  as  has  not  been  from  the  begiVining  of  the 
world  until  now,  neither  shall  be.  For  these  are  the  days  of 
vengeance,  that  all  things  may  be  fulfilled  that  are  written. 
There  shall  be  great  distress  in  the  land  and  wrath  upon 
this  people.  And  unless  those  days  had  been  shortened,  no 
flesh  would  be  saved :  but  for  sake  of  the  elect,  those  days 
shall  be  shortened.  And  they  (the  Jews)  shall  fall  by  the 
edge  of  the  sword ;  and  shall  be  led  away  captives  into 
all  nations  :  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  by  the 
gentiles  till  the  times  of  the  nations  be  fulfilled."  Thus 
then  the  calamities  and  signs  having  all  happened  that  had 
been  foretold  by  our  Saviour,  the  fatal  time  fixed  for  the  ven- 
geance of  the  Almighty  was  come,  and  Jerusalem  was  taken 
and  razed  to  the  ground  by  the  Roman  army  under  the  com- 
mand of  Titus  Vespasian ;  the  temple  was  burned,  the  Jews 
slaughtered  to  an  immense  number,  a  few  were  reserved  by 
Titus  to  be  carried  in  triumph  to  Rome,  and  the  rest  were  sold 
for  slaves,  and  dispersed  into  all  nations.  This  happened  in 
the  year  70  of  the  Christian  sera.  Extreme  were  the  cala- 
mities and  miseries  that  people  suffered  in  this  war,  by 
the  plague,  famine,  and  sword :  they  were  even  such  as  no 
nation  had  ever  felt  before.  The  Jews  must  have  all  cer- 
tainly perished,  had  not  God  in  his  mercy  shortened  those 
days  of  vengeance  for  the  sake  of  the  elect,  that  is,  for  the 
sake  of  reserving  a  remnant  of  that  people,  who  are  to 
remain  in  captivity  till  the  times  of  the  nations  be  fulfilled, 
that  is,  till  the  number  of  the  Gentiles,  whom  God  will  call 
to  the  Christian  faith,  be  filled  up  ;  and  then  that  remnant  of 
the  Jews  will  be  converted,  and  acknowledge  Christ  for  their 
Messiah. 

In  like  manner,  before  the  last  coming  of  Christ  to  dissolve 
the  fabric  of  the  world,  the  calamities  of  war  that  will  fall 
upon  mankind  will  be  very  great,  though  perhaps  somewhat 
inferior  to  those  the  Jews  experienced  on  the  above  occasion. 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

But  the  persecution  which  will  be  exercised  by  Antichrist 
against  the  Christians,  will  exceed  in  severity  and  cruelty 
the  persecutions  of  all  past  ages.  But  thi3  dreadful  period  will 
be  shortened  by  the  mercy  of  God  for  the  sake  of  his  elect, 
and  reduced  to  three  years  and  a  half 

Christ  having  thus  carried  on  his  predictions  to  the  ruin  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  captivity  of  the  Jews,  which  is  to  last  to 
the  latter  time  of  the  world,  the  sequel  of  his  discourse  na- 
turally falls  upon  the  transactions  of  that  last  period.  *'  Then 
if  any  man,"  says  he,  "shall  say  to  you:  lo,  here  is  Christ, 
or  there;  do  not  believe  him.  For  there  shall  arise  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs  and 
wonders,  insomuch  as  to  deceive,  if  possible,  even  the  elect. 
Behold,  I  have  told  it  you  before  hand.  If  therefore  they 
shall  say  to  you:  behold,  he  is  in  the  desert,  go  ye  not  out: 
behold,  he  is  in  the  closets,  believe  it  not."  Here  is  a  full 
warning,  which  ought  to  be  taken  notice  of,  against  the  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets  that  will  rise  up  in  the  last  age  ;  the 
chief  of  whom  will  be  Antichrist  and  the  false  prophet  his 
attendant.  And  what  is  very  alarming,  they  will  have 
power  of  showing  great  signs  and  wonders,  in  so  much  as  to 
deceive,  if  possible,  even  the  elect.  We  shall  see  the  same 
confirmed,  by  the  Apocalypse,  in  the  two  above-mentioned  im- 
postors. 

A  more  full  account  of  all  these  seducers,  and  of  their 
infamous  character,  is  given  us  in  the  Epistles  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul.  "  In  the  last  days,"  says  St.  Peter,  "  there  shall 
come  deceitful  scoffers,  walking  after  their  own  lusts,  saying, 
where  is  his  promise  of  his  coming  ?  for  since  the  time  that 
the  fathers  slept,  all  things  continue  as  they  were  from  the 
beginning  of  the  creation."  2  Ep.  iii.  3,  4.  "  Know  also 
this,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  that  in  the  last  days  shall  come  on  dan- 
gerous times.  Men  shall  be  lovers  of  themselves,  covetous, 
haughty,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to  parents,  ungrate- 
ful, wicked,  without  affection,  without  peace,  slanderers,  in- 
continent, unmerciful,  without  kindness,  traitors,  stubborn, 
puffed  up,  and  lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  of  God  ;  having 
an  appearance  indeed  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power 
thereof"  2  Tim.  iii.  1,  &c.  The  same  admonition  is  given 
us  by  St.  Jude  in  his  Epistle,  v.  17,  &c.  "  But  you,  my 
dearly  beloved,"  says  this  apostle,  "be  mindful  of  the  words 
which  have  been  spoken  before  by  the  apostles  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  who  told  you,  that  in  the  last  time  there  should 
come  mockers,  walking  according  to  their  own  desires  in 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  193 

ungodliness.     These  are  they,  who  separate  themselves,  sen- 
sual men,  having  not  the  spirit." 

To  proceed  with  our  Saviour's  discourse :  "  And  immedi- 
ately after  the  tribulation  of  those  days,"  says  he,  "  the  sun 
shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and 
the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  heaven 
shall  be  nioved.  And  there  shall  be  upon  the  earth  distress 
of  nations,  b}'-  reason  of  the  confusion  of  the  roaring  of  the 
sea  and  of  the  waves,  men  withering  away  for  fear,  and 
expectation  of  what  shall  come  upon  the  whole  world." 
These  previous  signals  of  the  end  of  the  world  are  analogous 
to  those  described  in  the  Apocalypse,  under  the  sixth  seal,  as 
will  appear  by  the  comparison  of  the  two  texts.  See  the  text 
of  the  Apocah/pse  given  above,  page  195.  Our  Saviour 
says:  "The  sun  shall  be  darkened."  St.  John,  after  the 
opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  says:  "  The  sun  became  black  as 
sack-cloth  of  hair."  Christ  says  :  "  The  moon  shall  not  give 
her  light."  St.  John  says:  "The  moon  became  as  blood." 
Christ  continues  :  "  The  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven."  St, 
John  in  the  above-mentioned  place:  "  The  stars  from  heaven 
fell  upon  the  earth,  as  the  fig-tree  casteth  its  green  figs  when 
it  is  shaken  by  a  great  wind."  Christ  again :  "  And  the 
powers  of  heaven  shall  be  moved."  St.  John:  "And  the 
heaven  departed  as  a  book  folded  up."  Christ  again:  "And 
there  shall  be  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations,  by  reason  of 
the  confusion  of  the  roaring  of  the  sea  and  of  the  waves." 
St.  John  in  the  above  place:  "And  every  mountain,  and  the 
islands,  were  moved  out  of  their  places."  Our  Saviour  pro- 
ceeds :  "Men  withering  away  for  fear,  and  expectation  of 
what  shall  come  upon  the  whole  world."  St.  John:  "And 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  princes,  and  tribunes,  and  the 
rich,  and  the  strong,  and  every  bondman,  and  every  freeman, 
hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  mountains. 
And  they  say  to  the  mountains  and  the  rocks:  fall  upon  us, 
and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  who  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  from  the  Avrath  of  the  Lamb."  Hence  it  appears  that  the 
words  of  our  Saviour  may  be  applied  as  the  best  interpretation 
of  the  text  of  St.  John  contained  under  the  sixth  seal. 

Thus  then  it  appears  that  the  discourse  of  Christ  to  his 
disciples,  and  the  text  of  the  Apocalypse  under  the  sixth  seal, 
exhibit  to  us  an  epitome  of  the  prodigies  and  disastrous  events 
that  will  distinguish  the  sixth  or  last  period  of  time.  They 
will  be  sent  as  so  many  warnings  of  the  approaching  great 
day  of  wrath,  when  Christ  will  come  in  his  power  and  ma-- 
17 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

jesty  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead,  and  put  an  end  to  the 
present  world.  "  When  you  shall  see  these  things  come  to 
pass,"  continues  Christ,  speaking  to  his  disciples,  "  know  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand."   Luke  xxi.  31. 

Narrative  preparatory  to  the  Prophecy  of  the  Sixth  Trumpet. 

The  sixth  or  last  period  of  time  exhibits  many  great  and 
extraordinary  events,  which  are  not  all  related  by  St.  John,  as 
some  part  of  them  had  already  been  revealed  in  former  pro- 
phecies. On  that  account  we  find  it  necessary  to  premise  a 
narrative  of  those  facts,  which  are  previous  to  what  is  laid 
down  in  the  Apocalypse.  If  the  order,  in  w^hich  we  have 
ranged  the  particulars  of  this  prophetic  history,  should  not 
be  approved  by  the  reader,  we  desire  him  to  reflect,  we  travel 
through  the  dark  paths  of  futurity. 

One  event,  that  will  chiefly  distinguish  the  sixth  age,  and 
will  be  a  prelude  to  the  final  period  of  the  human  race  in 
this  world,  is  the  appearance  of  that  extraordinary  man.  Anti- 
christ. But  the  way  is  to  be  opened  for  his  coming  by  two 
previous  incidents,  which  we  learn  from  St.  Paul,  and  which 
will  enable  him  to  bring  on  those  mischiefs  upon  mankind, 
and  that  desolation  upon  the  earth,  which  the  prophets  have 
foretold.  St.  Paul  thus  wTites  to  the  Thessalonians  in  his 
second  epistle,  chap.  2, 

V.  1.  "And  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  coming 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  our  gathering  together  unto 
him, 

V.  2.  "  That  you  be  not  easily  moved  from  your  mind,  nor 
be  frighted,  neither  by  spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  epistle  as 
sent  from  us,  as  if  the  day  of  the  Lord  were  at  hand. 

V.  3.  "  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means :  for  unless 
there  come  a  revolt  first,  and  the  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the 
son  of  perdition, 

V.  4.  "  Who  opposeth  and  is  lifted  up  above  all  that  is 
called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped,  so  that  he  sitteth  in  the 
temple  of  God,  showing  himself  as  if  he  were  God. 

V.  5.  "  Remember  you  not,  that  when  I  was  yet  with  you, 
I  told  you  these  things  ? 

V.  6.  "  And  now^  you  know  what  withholdeth,  that  he  may 
be  revealed  in  his  time. 

V.  7.  "  For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  already  worketh;  only 
that  he  who  now  holdeth,  do  hold  until  he  be  taken  out  of 
the  way. 

V.  8.  "  And  then  that  the  wicked  one  shall  be  revealed, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  195 

whom  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  kill  with  the  breath  of  his  mouth, 
and  shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming." 

Here  the  apostle  admonishes  the  Thessalonians,  not  to  give 
way  to  terrors,  as  if  the  last  day  was  near  at  hand,  assuring 
them  that  last  day  would  not  come,  "  till  there  came  a  revolt 
first,  and  the  man  of  sin  were  revealed,  the  son  of  per- 
dition, who  opposeth,  and  is  lifted  up  above  all  that  is  called 
God,  or  that  is  worshipped,  so  that  he  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,  showing  himself  as  if  he  were  God,"  v,  3,  4.  *'  By  the 
man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition,"  &c.  all  Christian  antiquity 
and  the  subsequent  ages  have  ever  understood  that  superla- 
tively wicked  man.  Antichrist.  The  end  of  the  world  there- 
fore will  not  happen  till  after  this  man's  appearance ;  and  also 
after  what  St.  Paul  calls  a  revolt,  which,  it  seems,  will  be  pre- 
vious to  Antichrist's  coming.  This  revolt,  or,  rather  according 
to  the  Greek  text,  the  apostacy,  denotes  a  defection  from  faith  as 
the  generality  of  the  scripture-interpreters  have  understood  it. 
Alas !  we  have  already  seen  a  great  flood  of  apostacy  spread 
itself  through  the  western  part  of  Christendom,  within  the 
last  two  centuries  and  a  half,  by  the  rise  of  Lutheranism, 
Calvdnism,  &c.  And  this  had  been  preceded  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  Church  by  the  Greek  schism,  Mahometanism, 
Arianism,  &c.  Even  St.  Paul  assures  us,  he  himself  saw 
this  apostacy,  or  defection  from  faith,  ushering  into  the  world  : 
"  for  the  mystery  of  iniquity  already  worketh,"  says  he,  v.  7. 
The  seeds  of  it  were  sown,  and  had  sprung  up  in  the  apostle's 
time,  in  the  heretics  called  Simonians,  Nicholaites,  Gnostics, 
&c.  But  it  will  continue  to  gain  ground  and  to  ripen,  till  it 
comes  to  full  maturity  in  the  time  of  Antichrist,  who  by  his 
extraordinary  power,  cruel  persecutions,  and  insidious  machi- 
nations, will  together  with  his  false  prophet,  seduce  a  prodi- 
gious number  of  Christians.  This  we  shall  see  in  the  follow- 
ing part  of  the  Apocalypse :  and  it  is  sufficiently  intimated 
by  our  Saviour,  as  we  observed  under  the  sixth  seal,  in  these 
words:  "  There  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  prophets, 
and  shall  show  great  signs  and  great  w^onders,  insomuch  as 
to  deceive,  if  possible,  even  the  elect."  Matth.  xxiv.  24. 

Under  the  term  apostacy  may  be  comprehended,  not  only 
a  defection  from  faith,  but  also  a  general  degeneracy  of 
morals,  which  already  shows  itself  in  the  surprising  growth 
of  licentiousness  and  irreligion,  in  a  tide  of  luxury,  extrava- 
gance, and  profligacy.  This  inundation  of  vice  paves  the 
way  for  worse,  and  will  spread  more  and  more  with  the  pro- 
gress of  time,  till  it  rises  to  a  general  flood  of  wickedness  in 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

the  infamous  dissolute  reign  of  Antichrist.  This  seems  to  be 
also  pointed  at  in  the  following  words  of  Christ:  "And 
because  iniquity  has  abounded,  the  charity  of  man  shall 
grow  cold,"  Matt.  xxiv.  12.  In  fine,  this  general  apostacy, 
with  respect  to  both  faith  and  morality,  was  likewise  fully  in- 
sinuated by  our  Saviour  when  he  said:  "When  the  Son  of 
man  cometh,  shall  he  find,  think  you,  faith  on  the  earth?" 
Luke  xviii.  8. 

The  Second  circumstance,  which  will  announce  the  coming 
of  Antichrist,  is  obscurely  expressed  thus  by  St.  Paul  in  the 
above  cited  text:  "And  now  you  know  what  withholdeth, 
that  he,  (the  man  of  sin,  or  Antichrist,)  be  revealed  in  his 
time.  Only  that  he  who  now  holdeth,  do  hold,  until  he  be 
taken  out  of  the  way,  and  then  that  wicked  one,  (Antichrist,) 
shall  be  revealed,"  v.  6,  7,  8.  The  generality  of  the  holy 
fathers  have  explained  this  text  of  the  destruction  of  the  Ro- 
m.an  empire,  Avhich  was  to  take  place  before  Antichrist  should 
be  revealed.  The  same  interpretation  has  also  been  trans- 
mitted through  all  the  Christian  ages  by  a  uniform  tradition; 
the  ground  of  which  can  be  no  other  but  the  explication  St. 
Paul  himself  had  given  to  the  Thessalonians  by  word  of  mouth, 
as  he  tells  them  in  this  place:  "  Remember  you  not,  (says  he,) 
that  when  I  was  yet  with  you,  I  told  you  these  things  ?"  v.  5. 
According  to  the  sense  here  exposed,  the  Roman  empire, 
which  held  when  St.  John  wrote,  was  therefore  the  thing  that 
withheld,  and  was  to  be  taken  away,  before  Antichrist  should 
appear. 

"  Who  holds,"  says  TertuUian,  "but  the  Roman  empire? 
the  division  of  which  into  ten  kingdoms  will  bring  on  Anti- 
christ :  and  then,  according  to  the  apostle,  that  wicked  one 
shall  be  revealed."  De  Resurrect.  Carnis  cap.  24.  St.  Jerome, 
relating  the  above  words  of  the  apostle,  "  only  that  he  who  now 
holdeth,  doth  hold,  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  wa5^"  writes 
thus:  "  The  apostle  by  this  expression,  He  Avho  now  holdeth, 
indicates  the  Roman  empire:  he  sa^s  it  in  obscure  terms,  be- 
cause if  he  had  spoken  openly,  he  would  imprudently  have 
raised  the  rage  of  the  persecutors  against  the  Christians,  and 
against  the  Church  which  was  then  beginning  to  rise."  In  Jc- 
rern.  c.  2-5.  Again,  the  same  learned  doctor  of  the  Church,  in 
another  place  explaining  the  same  passage,  says:  "  Only  that 
the  Roman  empire  which  holds  now  all  nations  under  its  pow- 
er be  taken  away,  and  then  Antichrist  will  come."  Epist.  151. 
ad  Algas.  qu.  11.  St.  John  Chrysostom,  interpreting  the  same 
text,  speaks  thus :   "It  may  be  asked,  what  St.   Paul  means 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  197 

when  he  says  'you  know  what  withholdeth,  that  he  may  be 
revealed  ;'  and  then,  why  the  apostle  speaks  so  obscurely.  He 
has  in  view  the  Roman  empire  ;  and  therefore  it  is  with  good 
reason  he  speaks  in  obscure  enigmatical  terms,  for  fear  of  ir- 
ritating the  Romans.  The  apostle  says  then :  only  that  he 
who  now  holdeth,  do  hold,  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way ; 
that  is,  when  the  Roman  empire  shall  be  removed  from  ihe 
face  of  the  earth,  then  Antichrist  will  come."  In  2  Thess. 
Hom.  4.  Lactantius,  speaking  of  the  last  period  of  the  world, 
says :  "  At  that  time  devastation  will  overspread  the  whole 
earth,  destroying  every  thing:  the  cause  of  which  desolation 
will  be,  that  the  Roman  name  (I  shudder  to  say  it,  but  1  must 
because  it  is  to  be)  will  be  taken  away  from  the  earth,  and  the 
empire  will  return  into  Asia ;  the  East  will  domineer  again, 
and  the  West  be  subdued."  Lib.  1.  c.  15.  St.  Cyril  of  Jeru- 
salem writes :  "  The  devil  will  raise  up  a  fam.ous  man,  who 
will  seize  upon  the  dominion  of  the  Roman  empire.  That 
man  or  Antichrist  will  appear,  when  the  Roman  empire  is 
come  to  its  period."  Catech.  15.  St.  Augustine,  other  fathers, 
and  the  scripture-expositors  of  latter  ages,  have  explained  St. 
Paul's  text  in  the  same  sense.  From  hence  then  it  appears 
that  St.  Paul  has  disclosed  this  particular  circumstance  viz, 
that  the  Roman  empire  was  to  be  dissolved  before  Antichrist 
appeared,  and  that  its  dissolution  would  be  a  sign  of  the  ap- 
proach of  that  impious  man. 

We  have  already  seen  in  the  history  of  the  third  age,  that 
the  great  body  of  the  Roman  empire  became  divided  in  two : 
the  western,  which  had  Rome  for  its  capital ;  and  the  eastern, 
of  which  Constantinople  was  constituted  capital.  We  have 
likewise  seen,  that  the  western  empire  was  torn  in  pieces  by 
different  swarms  of  northern  invaders,  Goths,  Vandals,  Huns, 
Alans,  &c.  who  parcelled  out  its  provinces  among  themselves, 
and  even  burned  Rome  itself  Upon  the  destruction  of  the 
western  part,  it  is  plain  it  could  not  be  said  that  the  whole  Ro- 
man empire  was  extinguished,  since  the  large  eastern  part 
still  subsisted.  Besides,  it  must  be  remembered,  we  related 
how  the  western  Roman  empire  was  revived  and  raised  up 
anew,  though  not  to  its  former  grandeur,  by  Charlemagne, 
who  was  crowned  emperor  of  it  in  the  year  800.  It  has  con- 
tinued to  exist  ever  since  that  epoch,  and  is  swayed  at  present 
by  the  augrist  house  of  Austria,  and  has  its  seat  in  Germany. 

Nevertheless,  upon  the  above-mentioned  ruin  of  the  western 
state,  with  Rome  its  imperial  head,  which  had  been  looked 
upon  as  the  mighty  centre  and  metropolis  of  the  whole  world, 
17* 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

some  of  the  Christians  apprehended  that,  in  conformity  to  the 
above  prophecy  of  St.  Paul,  the  time  of  Antichrist  would  soon 
succeed.     This  seemed  to  be  the  sentiment  of  St.  Jerome,  who 
lived  at  that  period.     "  He  that  held,"  says  he,  "  is  taken  out 
of  the  way,  and  yet  we  do  not  understand  that  Antichrist  must 
be  coming."   Ep.  xi.  ad  Eger.     This  opinion,  though  false 
for  the  reasons  just  now  mentioned,  yet  was  not  totally  devoid 
of  foundation      For  Rome,  the  principal  head  and  ancient  cen- 
tre of  all  dominion,  was  then  no  more,   and  the  most  notable 
part  of  the  empire,  namely,  the  western,  was  suppressed.   What 
wonder  then,  that  the  time  of  Antichrist  was  supposed,  from 
the  expression  of  St.  Paul,  to  be  approaching?     And  in  effect 
we  soon  after  see  the  birth  of  a  man,  viz.  Mahomet,  who, 
though  not  himself  Antichrist,  yet  laid  the  foundations  of  a 
great  power,  which  we  conceive  will  form  hereafter  the  Anti- 
christian  empire,     The  reason  for  this  opinion  will  appear  in 
the  sequel.      The  ruin  of  ancient  Rome  was  ultimately  com- 
pleted by  Totila,  king  of  the  Goths,  in  the  year  546;  and  not 
long  after  Mahomet  was  born,  viz.   571,  and  began  his  con- 
quests about  the  year  622.     From  that  date  the  Mahometan 
power  advanced   with  great  rapidity  and  success,  and  grew 
to   a   prodigious    height  of  dominion  under  the  Saracens; 
as  w^e  have  shown  in  the  account  of  the  fourth  seal.     Af- 
terwards, the  chief  part  of  that  vast  empire  fell  by  conquest 
into  the    hands  of  the  Turks,    where    it    remains    at    this 
day.     These  warriors,  actuated  by  an  insatiate  thirst  of  power, 
enlarged  their  conquests  upon  the  eastern    Roman  empire, 
w^hich  at  last  they  entirely  subdued,  and  took  the  imperial 
city  of  Constantinople  in  1453,  where  the  conquering  sultan, 
Mahomet  II.,  fixed  the  seat  of  his  own  monarchy.     Thus  was 
taken  out  of  the  way  or  extinguished  one  part  of  that  empire  ; 
the  existence  of  which  withholds  or  hinders  the  coming  of 
Antichrist.     And  in  this  manner  did  the  Turkish  power  in- 
crease, and  as  we  apprehend,   will  continue  its  progress,  to 
pave  the  way  to  universal   dominion  under  a  ruler  or  empe- 
ror, who  will  in  the  end  become  Antichrist. 

The  fourth  seal,  as  we  have  seen,  gave  us  the  origin  of  the 
Mahometan  monarchy,  of  which  it  was  there  said :  "  Power 
was  given  to  him,  (its  rulers,)  over  the  four  parts  of  the 
earth,"  Apoc.  vi.  8.  In  the  Greek  indeed  we  read,  "  over 
the  fourth  part  of  the  earth."  If  the  text  of  the  vulgate  be 
followed,  it  is  clear  that  the  Mahometan  dominion  will  extend 
over  the  four  parts  of  the  earth ;  and  this  will  be  further  con- 
firmed hereafter.     The  accomplishment  of  this  prophecy  is 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  199 

udvancing,  but  not  yet  adequately  fulfilled.  The  Turks  have 
already  in  their  possession  a  considerable  part  of  Asia,  a  great 
extent  of  country  in  Africa,  and  a  spacious  territory  in  Eu- 
rope. On  the  pouring  out  of  the  fourth  vial,  we  saw  the 
divine  justice  fall  upon  the  schismatic  Greeks  by  the  hands 
of  the  Turks,  who  thereupon  greatly  enlarged  their  empire. 

The  great  empire  of  Turkey,  thus  enlarged,  having  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  coming  of  this  impious  prince,  we  shall 
now  look  out  for  his  birth  and  origin ;  for  which  we  must 
have  recourse  to  the  book  of  Daniel.  This  prophet  in  the 
seventh  chapter  tells  us,  he  saw  in  a  vision  four  beasts  rise 
up  out  of  the  sea,  which  have  been  generally  understood  to 
represent  four  great  empires  that  should  succeed  one  another, 
namely,  the  Chaldean,  Persian,  Greek,  and  the  Roman. 
The  fourth  beast,  which  denotes  the  ancient  Roman  empire, 
Daniel  thus  describes,  ver.  7.  "  I  beheld  in  the  vision  of  the 
night,  and  lo  !  a  fourth  beast,  terrible  and  wonderful,  and  ex- 
ceedingly)' strong ;  it  had  great  iron  teeth,  eating  and  breaking 
in  pieces,  and  treading  down  the  rest  with  its  feet :  and  it  was 
unlike  to  the  other  beasts,  which  I  had  seen  before  it,  and  it 
had  ten  horns."  An  angel  explains  to  the  prophet  the  mean- 
ing of  this  mysterious  terrible  beast  in  the  following  manner, 
ver.  23.  "  The  fourth  beast  will  be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon 
earth,  which  shall  be  greater*  than  all  the  kingdoms,  and 
shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  tread  it  down,  and 
break  it  in  pieces."  Further,  ver.  24.  "  And  the  ten  horns 
of  the  same  kingdom  will  be  ten  kings."  This  fourth  king- 
dom, or  Roman  empire,  was  then  to  surpass  in  power  and 
dominion  all  the  preceding  kingdoms.  And  effectually,  it 
conquered  the  dominions  of  the  three  above-named  empires, 
and  even  subdued  the  greatest  part  of  the  then  known  world. 
The  ten  horns  of  the  beast  are  said  by  the  angel  to  be  ten 
kings,  that  is,  ten  proconsuls  or  governors  placed  by  the  em- 
perors over  the  ten  provinces,  into  which  the  whole  Roman 
state  might  be  supposed  to  be  divided.  These  proconsuls  or 
governors  might  well  be  termed  kings,  as  their  power  was 
very  great,  and  the  provinces  under  their  command  equal  to 
large  kingdoms. 

Daniel  proceeds,  ver.  8.  "  I  considered  the  horns,  and 
behold,  another  little  horn  sprung  out  of  the  midst  of  them : 
and  three  of  the  first  horns  were  plucked  up  at  the  presence 
thereof"     Which  the  angel  explains  to  him  thus,  ver.   24. 

♦  The  Chaldaic  text,  in  which  language  this  prophecy  was  written,  has, 
"  unlike  to  all  kingdoms." 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

"  And  another  (king)  shall  rise  up  after  them,  and  he  shall 
be  mightier  than  the  former,*  and  he  shall  bring  down  three 
kings."  The  little  horn  here,  which  the  angel  explains  to  be 
a  king,  will  be  that  king  who  will  become  Antichrist.  And 
such  is  the  opinion  of  St.  Jerom,  and  several  other  holy  fathers 
and  interpreters.  This  little  horn,  or  this  petty  king,  who  at 
last  wall  be  Antichrist,  must  therefore  spring  out  of  the  midst 
of  the  ten  horns,  or  wdll  be  born  and  rise  up  from  without  the 
midst  of  the  ten  provinces  that  composed  the  ancient  Roman 
empire,  that  is,  will  rise  up  in  a  country,  out  of  the  boundary 
of  the  Roman  empire,  but  answering  to  the  middle  of  it.  This 
circumstance,  joined  with  the  other  before  mentioned,  of  his  be- 
coming emperor  of  the  Turks,  serves  to  point  out  to  us  the  place 
of  his  birth.  Whoever  will  take  the  pains  to  view  the  map  of 
the  ancient  Roman  empire,  will  see  that  the  country  formerly 
called  Taurica  Chersonesus,  now  Crim  Tartary,  on  the  north 
side  of  Pont  Euxin  or  Black  sea,  corresponds  very  nearly  to 
the  middle  of  that  empire,  while  at  the  same  time  it  lies  without 
its  limits.  And  this  latter  circumstance  is  necessary,  as  the 
little  horn  ought  to  be  independent  on  the  other  ten  horns, 
Avhich  could  not  be  if  it  was  placed  within  the  sphere  of  their 
power.  In  the  country  then  of  Crim  Tartary,  we  conceive 
the  Antichristian  prince  will  be  born,  heir  to  that  petty  king- 
dom, and  will  succeed  to  it  as  kan  or  king  of  Crim  and  little 
Tartary.  On  another  hand,  we  learn  from  Prince  Cantemir, 
in  his  history  of  the  Ottoman  empire,  that  the  Mahometan 
family  upon  the  throne  of  Crim  Tartary  is  descended,  by  a 
younger  branch,  from  the  same  stock  as  the  Ottoman  family 
that  sits  upon  the  throne  of  Constantinople,  and  the  Turks  have 
often  declared  that  if  the  Ottoman  family  fail,  that  of  Crim 
Tartary  is  to  succeed  to  their  empire.  We  suppose  therefore 
that  the  present  Ottoman  race,  which  now  sways  the  Turkish 
sceptre,  will  somehow  or  other  be  removed  or  extinguished ; 
upon  which  the  Antichristian  prince,  king  of  Crim  Tartary, 
will  clkim  his  right,  and  mount  the  imperial  throne  of  Tur- 
key. This  simple  course  of  events  show^s  therefore  the  com- 
pletion of  Daniel's  prophecy;  a  king  of  so  small  a  country  as 
Crim  and  little  Tartary,  may  well  be  reputed  the  little  horn 
that  sprang  out  of  the  midst  of  the  ten  horns ;  and  this  petty 
king's  succeeding  to  the  Turkish  empire,  explains  how  the 
little  horn  grew  mightier  than  the  other  horns. 

Before  we  explain  the  rest  of  the  above  prophecy,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  add  something  more  concerning  the  origin  of 

♦  The  Chaldaic,  "  and  he  shall  be  unlike  to  the  former." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  201 

tills  famous  future  prince.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  of  the 
ancients,  that  Antichrist  will  be  a  Jew,  born  of  the  tribe  of 
Dan.  They  allege  as  a  probable  proof  of  it ;  first,  the  pro- 
phecy of  Jacob  about  his  son  Dan.  Thus  spoke  that  patri- 
arch :  "  Dan  shall  judge  his  people  like  another  tribe  m  Israel. 
Let  Dan  be  a  snake  in  the  way,  a  serpent  in  the  path,  that 
biteth  the  horse's  heels,  that  his  rider  may  fall  backward." 
Gen.  xlix.  16,  17.  Upon  which  St.  Augustine  says  :  "  When 
Jacob  gave  his  last  blessing  to  his  sons,  he  spoke  in  such 
manner  of  Dan,  as  to  give  reason  to  think  that  Antichrist  will 
be  born  of  that  tribe."  Qu.  22.  in  Josue.  But  this  prediction 
seems  to  have  been  accomplished  in  that  extraordinary  man, 
Sampson,  who  was  born  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  became  judge  of 
Israel,  and  was  truly  a  snake  in  the  way  to  the  Philistines ; 
for  he  met  them  every  where,  and  sorely  tormented  them. 
And  in  this  sense  St.  Jerome  explains  it.     Li  Qucest.  Hebr. 

The  second  argument  adduced  in  favour  of  the  same 
opinion,  is  drawn  from  the  seventh  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse, 
where,  in  the  enumeration  of  the  Jews  w^ho  in  each  tribe 
were  to  be  signed  with  the  sign  of  the  living  God,  the  tribe 
of  Dan  is  omitted,  as  if  it  was  excluded  from  that  favour  on 
account  of  its  giving  birth  to  that  most  wicked  of  all  men, 
Antichrist.  But  this  argument  does  not  seem  to  be  suffi- 
ciently grounded.  For,  in  the  first  place,  St.  John,  before  he  be- 
gins that  enumeration,  says,  "  that  there  were  a  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand,  or,  twelve  times  twelve  thousand,  signed 
out  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,"  vii.  4.  He  therefore  meant  to 
enumerate  all  the  twelve  tribes.  Secondly,  in  that  enumera- 
tion we  may  observe  there  is  mention  made  of  the  tribe  of 
Joseph,  and  of  Manasse,  but  no  mention  of  that  of  Ephraim ; 
we  must  also  observe  that  the  tribe  of  Joseph  comprehended 
both  the  tribes  of  Ephraim  and  Manasse,  who  were  Joseph's 
two  sons.  Therefore  either  the  tribe  of  Joseph  would  have 
been  solely  mentioned,  without  that  of  Manasse ;  or  else  the 
two  separate  tribes  of  Ephraim  and  Manasse  would  have  been 
mentioned,  without  that  of  Joseph.  It  appears  then  that,  as 
the  text  stands,  the  mention  of  the  tribe  of  Manasse  is  super- 
fluous, being  included  in  that  of  Joseph.  Indeed,  a  mistake 
seems  to  have  crept  into  the  text  through  inadvertency  of  the 
copier,  who,  instead  of  AAN  in  the  Greek  original,  wrote 
MAN  in  his  copy,  as  the  Greek  letters  A  and  M  are  not  so 
very  difll^rent :  and  in  subsequent  copies  MAN  might  be 
lengthened  out  into  MANASSE,  for  which  it  was  supposed 
to  stand.     Therefore  it  would  seem,  that  Dan  stood  in  the 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

original  text  instead  of  Man  or  Manasse.  Besides,  upon  the 
supposition  even  that  Antichrist  was  to  spring-  from  the  tribe 
of  Dan,  we  do  not  see  why  the  whole  tribe  should  be  accursed 
for  that.  We  may  then  conclude,  with  respect  to  this  article, 
that,  as  there  appears  nothing  in  holy  writ  to  determine  the 
origin  of  Antichrist,  we  may  suppose  he  will  be  born  of  Ma- 
hometan parents,  such  being  at  present  the  prince  and  people 
of  Crim  Tartary. 

But  to  resume  the  prophecy  of  Daniel.  "  I  considered  the 
horns,"  says  he,  "  and  behold,  another  little  horn  sprung  out 
of  the  midst  of  them  :  and  three  of  the  first  horns  were  plucked 
up  at  the  presence  thereof,"  vii.  8.  The  last  part,  which 
alone  remains  to  be  considered,  and  three  of  the  first  horns 
were  plucked  up  at  the  presence  thereof,  is  thus  explained  to 
him  by  the  angel :  "  and  he  shall  bring  down  three  kings," 
V.  24 ;  that  is,  the  Antichristian  king,  represented  by  the  little 
horn,  will  subdue  three  kings  or  three  kingdoms,  which  must 
be  provinces  of  the  ancient  Roman  empire ;  because,  as  we 
observed,  that  empire  is  represented  by  the  beast,  and  its  pro- 
vinces are  signified  by  the  beast's  horns.  And  thus  by  his 
reducing  three  kingdoms  under  his  power,  three  horns  of  the 
beast  will  be  plucked  up  by  him.  This  Antichristian  prince, 
at  his  accession  to  the  imperial  crown  of  Constantinople,  will 
find  the  Turkish  empire  in  actual  possession  of  seven  of  the 
ten  provinces  that  made  up  the  whole  ancient  Roman  state. 
These  acquisitions,  and  that  of  most  of  the  northern  countries 
of  Europe,  will  have  been  the  work  of  his  predecessors,  as 
we  have  already  remarked,  and  he  will  enter  upon  a  do- 
minion of  vast  extent.  But  there  will  still  remiain  three  pro- 
vinces or  kingdoms,  unsubdued,  within  the  compass  of  the 
old  Roman  empire.  These  are  reserved  for  his  own  con- 
quest. 

It  may  now  be  asked,  which  may  be  supposed  to  be  the 
three  kingdoms  here  spoken  of?  To  answer  the  question  ; 
it  appears  pretty  clear,  that  the  present  German  empire  must 
be  one  of  the  three,  as  it  was  formerly  a  Roman  province,  and 
is  still  the  representative  of  the  Roman  empire;  and  conse- 
quently, according  to  the  above  cited  prophecy  of  St.  Paul,  it 
must  be  taken  out  of  the  way.  The  other  two  kingdoms  we 
apprehend  may  be  France  and  Spain:  because  they  consti- 
tuted formerly  two  provinces  of  the  Roman  state,  and  seem  to 
be  almost  the  only  considerable  powers  remaining,  which 
will  not  have  been  before  swallowed  up  in  the  Turkish  do- 
minion.    This  however  cannot  be  certainly  ascertained  ]  as 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  203 

perchance  Italy  may  be  one  of  these  two  kingdoms,  unless  on 
account  of  its  being  divided  into  a  number  of  petty  states,  it 
may  not  be  reputed  to  form  a  kingdom.  Thus  then  by  the 
reduction  of  the  three  kingdoms,  he  who  held  will  be  taken 
out  of  the  way,  conformably  to  the  prophecy  of  St.  Paul;  that 
is,  the  Roman  empire  will  be  wholly  put  down,  and  incorpo- 
rated in  the  dominion  of  the  Antichristian  emperor.  But  it 
must  be  observed,  all  these  things  happen  while  he  is  a  suc- 
cessful conquering  prince,  before  he  declares  himself  Anti- 
christ ;  as  follows  from  the  apostle's  words,  already  cited : 
"  Only  that  he  who  now  holdeth,  do  hold  until  he  be  taken 
out  of  the  way ;  and  then  that  wicked  one  (Antichrist)  shall 
be  revealed." 

According  to  the  above  account,  deduced  from  the  predic- 
tions of  Daniel  and  St.  Paul,  the  Antichristian  prince  becomes 
master  of  all  those  spacious  countries  that  constituted  the  an- 
cient Roman  empire :  and  of  course  he  may  be  truly  styled 
Roman  emperor.  And  that  such  he  will  one  day  be,  may  be 
further  confirmed  from  the  Apocalypse.  We  have  seen, page 
98,  in  the  explication  of  the  17th  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse, 
that  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast  which  represents  the  Roman 
empire,  denote  seven  Roman  emperors,  of  whom  Antichrist 
himself  is  the  seventh  or  last.  The  same  will  likewise  appear 
hereafter  in  the  exposition  of  chapter  the  13th,  which  evi- 
dently relates  to  Antichrist.  Such  also  we  find  to  have  been 
the  general  sentiment  of  the  ancients.  Thus  speaks  St.  John 
Chrysostom  :  "  As  those  empires,  which  preceded  the  Roman, 
were  destroyed ;  that  of  the  Babylonians  by  that  of  the  Per- 
sians, that  of  the  Persians  by  that  of  the  Macedonians,  that  of 
the  Macedonians  by  that  of  the  Romans  ;  so  will  likewise  the 
empire  of  the  Romans  be  destroyed  by  Antichrist."  2  Thess. 
Horn.  4.  St.  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  says  :  "  The  devil  will  raise 
up  a  famous  man.  Antichrist,  who  will  seize  upon  the  do- 
minions of  the  Roman  empire."  Catech.  15.  St.  Ireneeus, 
St.  Jerome,  and  others,  might  be  quoted  for  the  same  purpose. 

Constantinople,  which  has  been  the  seat  of  the  Turkish 
monarchs,  ever  since  it  fell  under  their  dominion,  will  con- 
tinue to  remain  so  under  this  Turkish  Antichristian,  and  Ro- 
man emperor.  That  city,  though  very  large  at  present,  upon 
the  vast  accession  of  empire  will  probably  increase  to  a  great 
degree,  in  magnitude,  grandeur  and  riches.  As  the  ancient 
Romans  could  never  sit  down  to  enjoy  their  acquisitions  in 
the  sweets  of  peace,  but  were  constantly  stimulated  by  insa- 
tiate lust  of  power  to  add  to  their  dominion;  in  like  manner 


204  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

this  ncAv  Roman  emperor,  as  if  with  the  acquisition  of  their 
territory  he  inherited  their  restless  ambition,  will  pursue  his 
destructive  view  of  aggrandizing  his  power  and  empire.  The 
reduction  of  one  country  after  another  wall  whet  his  appetite 
for  conquest,  and  each  conquest  will  facilitate  the  way  to  fur- 
ther success.  Having  added  Europe  to  his  other  dominions, 
he  will  have  at  command  the  naval  power  of  all  the  great 
maritime  states.  His  numerous  fleets  may  therefore  fly  from 
one  continent  to  another,  from  one  island  to  another,  and  strike 
terror  wherever  they  come.  What  wonder,  then,  if  he  en- 
larges his  empire  with  fresh  conquests  in  Africa,  America,  in 
the  East  and  West  Indies? 

In  these  times  iniquity  will  abound.  Universal  will  have 
been  the  propagation  of  infidelity,  irreligion,  and  immorality, 
as  we  have  before  observed  from  the  words  of  our  Saviour 
and  St.  Paul.  Defection  from  faith,  disregard  for  its  teachers, 
licentiousness  in  opinions,  depravity  in  morals,  will  so  far  at 
last  deaden  the  influence  of  religion,  and  cause  such  degene- 
racy in  mankind,  that  many  will  be  so  base  as  even  to  espouse 
idolatry.  This  assertion  may  seem  incredible  to  some  at  this 
day,  and  may  be  esteemed  an  absurdity;  but  we  shall  see 
idolatry  expressly  mentioned  in  the  Apocalypse,  as  existing  in 
the  time  of  Antichrist.  And  indeed,  I  apprehend  our  surprise 
will  much  abate,  if  we  take  into  consideration  the  temper  and 
disposition  of  the  present  times.  When  men  divest  them- 
selves, as  they  seem  to  do  at  present,  of  all  fear  of  the  Supreme 
Being,  of  all  respect  for  their  Creator  and  Lord ;  when  they 
immerse  themselves  in  the  gratification  of  sensuality;  when 
they  give  full  loose  to  the  human  passions,  and  direct  their 
whole  study  to  the  pursuits  of  a  corrupt  world,  with  a  total 
forgetfulness  of  a  future  state,  may  we  not  say  that  the  tran- 
sition is  easy  to  idolatry  ?  When  all  the  steps  are  taken  that 
lead  to  a  mark,  what  wonder  if  we  arrive  at  it?  Such  was 
the  gradual  degeneracy  of  mankind  in  the  early  ages  of  the 
world,  that  brought  on  the  abominable  practices  of  idol  w^or- 
ship.  I  am  aware  it  will  be  said,  we  have  the  happiness  to 
live  in  the  most  enlightened  of  all  ages,  our  knowledge  is 
more  perfect,  our  ideas  are  more  improved  and  refined,  the 
human  faculties  are  now  better  cultivated  than  ever  before, 
and,  in  fine,  the  present  race  of  mankind  may  be  reckoned  a 
society  of  philosophers,  when  compared  to  preceding  genera- 
tions :  how  then  can  such  a  stupidity  seize  the  human  mind, 
as  to  sink  it  into  idolatry  ?  But  1  apprehend,  this  kind  of 
reasoning  is  more  specious  than  solid.     For,  allowing  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  205 

present  times  to  surpass  the  former  in  refinement  and  know- 
ledge, it  must  be  said  they  are  proportionably  more  vicious. 
Refinement  of  reason  has  contributed,  as  every  one  knows,  to 
refine  upon  the  means  of  gratifying  the  human  passions. 
Besides,  how  much  soever  enlightened  the  mind  may  be  sup- 
posed to  be,  if  the  heart  is  corrupted,  what  excesses  the  man 
will  run  into,  daily  experience  teaches.  If  the  philosopher  is 
not  governed  by  the  power  of  religion,  his  conduct  will  be 
absurd,  and  even  despicable  to  the  most  ignorant  individual  of 
the  lowest  rank.  A  Socrates,  a  Cicero,  a  Seneca,  are  said  to 
have  been  acquainted  with  the  knowledge  of  one  supreme 
God;  but  they  had  not  courage  to  profess  his  worship,  and 
in  their  public  conduct  basely  sacrificed  to  stocks  and  stones 
with  the  vulgar.  When  men  have  banished  from  their  heart 
the  sense  of  religion,  and  despise  the  ties  of  justice,  (and  is 
not  this  the  case  of  numbers?)  will  many  of  them  scruple  to 
incense  a  statue,  if  doing  so  will  serve  their  ambition,  their 
interest,  or  whatever  may  be  their  favourite  passion?  Where 
is  then  the  surprise,  that  infidelity  and  irreligion  be  succeeded 
by  idolatry  ?  That  pride  alone,  when  inflamed  with  a  con- 
stant flow  of  prosperity,  may  raise  a  man  to  the  extravagant 
presumption  of  claiming  to  himself  divine  honours,  we  have 
the  example  of  Alexander,  the  celebrated  Macedonian  con- 
queror, and  of  several  emperors  of  Babylon  and  ancient  Rome. 
From  suggestions  of  that  same  principle  of  pride,  may  it  not 
happen,  that  the  Turks  in  future  time,  elated  by  a  long  series 
of  success,  by  a  continued  course  of  victories  and  conquest, 
may  it  not  happen,  I  saj'-,  that  they  will  ascribe  all  this  good 
fortune  to  the  imaginary  protection  of  their  great  Mahomet, 
and  thence  set  him  up  for  a  God  ?  "  By  the  vanity  of  men," 
says  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  "  idols  came  into  the  world,"  xiv. 
14.  If  it  should  so  happen,  in  the  vast  bulk  of  people  then 
under  the  yoke  of  that  empire,  how  many  individuals  may 
yield  to  the  same  absurd  impiety,  some  out  of  fear  for  what 
they  may  lose,  others  out  of  a  view  to  gain  what  they  covet  ? 

The  unparalleled  success,  which  will  attend  the  arms  of 
this  domineering  prince,  the  Antichristian  hero,  the  greatness 
of  his  power,  and  the  extent  of  his  dominion,  superior  to  every 
thing  that  has  been  seen  before,  will  strike  with  amazement 
the  whole  w^orld,  and  in  particular  the  Jews,  Avho  have  been 
ever  expecting  such  a  glorious  conqueror.  They  will  be 
dazzled  by  the  appearances  of  such  extraordinary  prosperity, 
and  will  view  this  great  monarch  with  minds  suspended  in 
doubt,  whether  he  be  not  the  Messiah  they  have  so  long  waited 
18 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCK, 

for.  Such  has  been  the  misfortune  of  the  Jews  to  be  always 
inflexibly  fixed  in  the  opinion,  that  the  Messiah  is  to  be  a 
prince  of  the  highest  temporal  grandeur  and  power,  and  who 
will  not  only  restore  them  to  their  ancient  land  and  possessions, 
but  also  raise  them  to  such  a  pitch  of  eminence  as  to  domineer 
over  the  whole  world.  The  Antichristian  emperor,  knowing 
this  their  carnal  disposition,  and  by  his  unbounded  ambition 
coveting  to  be  acknowledged  master,  and  revered  by  all  classes 
of  men,  will  craftily  encourage  the  Jews  in  their  delusive  no- 
tions, and  draw  them  into  the  snare.  He  will  pretend  to  be 
the  great  personage  promised  to  them  by  the  prophets.  He 
will  pretend  to  be  lineally  descended  from  king  David,  who 
was  foretold  to  be  the  parent  of  the  Messiah.  He  will  feign  to 
be  attached  to  the  law  of  Moses,  to  be  zealous  in  the  observance 
of  its  rites,  and  will  allege,  for  proof  of  his  sincerity,  his 
having  been  circumcised ;  which  circumstance  will  be  true, 
as  circumcision  has  always  been  in  use  among  the  Maho- 
metans. 

Thus  he"  will  put  on  the  mask  of  dissimulation  ;  "  Antichrist 
will  be,"  says  St.  Gregory  the  Great,  "  the  chief  of  all  hypo- 
crites. That  seducer  will  pretend  to  sanctity,  that  he  may 
draw  others  into  iniquity."  In  Job.  lib.  25.  c.  14.  St.  Am- 
bi'ose,  in  Luc.  12.  is  of  opinion,  that  he  will  allege  the  sacred 
scriptures  to  prove  to  the  Jews  that  he  is  their  Messiah  and 
the  Christ.  "  Before  the  end  of  the  world,"  says  St.  Cyril  of 
Jerusalem,  "Satan  will  raise  up  a  man,  who  will  falsely  as- 
sume the  name  of  Christ,  and  by  that  means  will  seduce  the 
Jews."  Catech.  15.  Masked  under  the  title  of  their  glorious 
Messiah,  he  will  flatter  them  with  promises  of  restoring  them 
to  their  ancient  inheritance,  the  possession  of  the  whole  coun- 
try of  Judea,  and  in  particular  to  their  beloved  city  of  Jeru- 
salem. He  will  promise  to  rebuild  their  temple,  and  reinstate 
the  Mosaic  religion  in  its  primitive  splendour.  He  will  pre- 
tend to  make  them  the  most  glorious  people  upon  earth,  and 
that  the  great  expectations  they  have  so  long  waited  for  shall 
now  be  fulfilled.  To  give  greater  weight  to  all  his  fictitious 
pretences,  the  arch-impostor  will  place  himself  at  Jerusalem, 
where  the  Jews  expect  their  Messiah  will  hold  his  residence. 
Thither  he  will  invite  them  to  resort,  that  they  may  receive 
the  effect  of  his  promises.  Thus  allured,  they  will  repair 
thither  in  great  number,  and  will  acknowledge  him  for  their 
king  and  Messiah.  That  such  will  be  the  illusion  of  the 
Jews,  is  the  general  opinion  of  the  ancient  fathers  of  the 
Church,  and   of  the    subsequent   interpreters  of  holy  writ. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  207* 

They  ground  their  sentiment  on  those  words  of  our  Saviour 
to  the  Jews  :  "  I  am  come  in  the  name  of  my  Father,  and  you 
receive  me  not:  if  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name,  him 
you  will  receive,"  John  v.  43.  By  this  other  who  will  come  in 
his  own  name  and  be  received  by  the  Jews,  the  above  writers 
understand  Antichrist. 

But  while  the  Antichristian  impostor  is  carrying  on  this 
farce  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  Jews  moving  from  all  parts  of  the 
globe  to  resort  thither,  it  seems  that  somie  sudden  accident 
will  happen,  that  will  alarm  him,  and  oblige  him  to  set  out 
for  the  east  to  assemble  an  army.  For,  at  the  sounding  of 
the  sixth  trumpet,  we  shall  see  an  immense  body  of  troops 
cross  the  Euphrates  from  the  East.  This  may  come  to  pass, 
if  we  suppose  that  the  European  nations  combine  altogether  at 
this  time  to  revolt,  and  to  rescue  themselves  from  his  ty- 
rannical government.  In  which  view  they  may  join  their 
forces,  and  make  up  a  most  formidable  army.  Upon  this 
news  reaching  him  at  Jerusalem,  he  will  drop  all  his  pro- 
jects concerning  the  Jews,  and  without  executing  any  of 
the  promises  made  to  them,  he  will  set  out  in  great  wrath 
for  the  East,  to  raise  a  large  body  of  forces,  to  chastise  in 
the  severest  manner  his  rebellious  subjects  of  Europe.  In 
his  absence,  the  Jews  will  continue  to  flock  in  great  crowds 
to  Jerusalem.  But,  instead  of  meeting  with  the  Messiah 
they  expected,  they  will  soon  find  that  their  assembling  to- 
gether was  designed  to  serve  other  purposes  of  Divine  Pro- 
vidence. 

For  now  the  term  was  expiring,  which  the  Almighty  had 
fixed  for  the  duration  of  the  Jewish  captivity ;  now  the  time 
was  come,  which  in  the  decrees  of  his  mercy  he  had 
settled  for  recalling  to  himself  that  people  who  had  been  so 
long  estranged  from  him.  By  a  particular  mark  of  bounty, 
they  had  been  chosen  in  former  ages  by  him  as  his  peculiar 
people,  and  adopted  preferably  to  any  other  nation.  They 
shared  his  favours  in  great  abundance,  and  in  the  most  con- 
spicuous manner ;  and  though  in  their  infidelities  and  gross 
deviations  from  their  duty  he  used  the  rod  of  correction, 
yet  he  always  retained  the  disposition  of  a  merciful  Father 
for  them.  "  Many  a  time  did  he  turn  away  his  anger,  and 
did  not  kindle  alfhis  wrath.  And  he  remembered  that  they 
are  flesh."  Psalm  Ixxvii.  38,  39.  He  had  forewarned 
them  and  told  them  :  "  If  you  despise  my  laws  and  contemn 
my  judgments,  so  as  not  to  do  those  things  which  are  ap- 
pointed by  me,  and  to   make  void  my  covenant :   I  also  will 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCK> 

quickly  do  these  things  to  you :  I  will  quickly  visit  you  with 
poverty,  &c.  I  will  set  my  face  against  you,  and  you  shall 
fall  down  before  your  enemies.  And  I  will  scatter  you 
among  the  gentiles."  But  then  the  Almighty  presently  after 
adds :  "  And  yet  for  all  that,  when  they  were  in  the  land  of 
their  enemies,  I  did  not  cast  them  off  altogether,  neither  did 
I  so  despise  them,  that  they  should  be  quite  consumed,  and  I 
should  make  void  my  covenant  with  them.  For  I  am  the 
Lord  their  God."     Levit.  xxvi.  15,  &c. 

He  spoke  again  by  his  prophet  Amos  :  "  Behold,  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord  God  are  upon  the  sinful  kingdom,  and  I  will 
destroy  it  from  the  face  of  the  earth  :  but  yet  I  will  not 
utterly  destroy  the  house  of  Jacob,  saith  the  Lord."  Amos 
ix.  8.  Unfaithful  to  their  God,  they  frequently  offended,  he 
frequently  punished  them ;  and  as  often  as  they  returned  and 
implored  his  forgiveness,  as  often  he  forgave  and  again  che- 
rished them.  When  their  ingratitude  had  grown  to  such  a 
height,  as  totally  to  abandon  their  indulgent  Father  and 
their  God,  and  by  a  base  prostitution  to  transfer  to  stocks 
and  stones  the  worship  due  to  him,  and  even  obstinately  to 
persist  in  their  idolatry,  notwithstanding  the  constant  re- 
proaches he  made  them :  he  in  his  just  anger  banished 
them  from  their  native  land,  and  delivered  them  over  to 
their  enemies.  The  ten  tribes,  which  formed  the  kingdom 
of  Israel,  were  carried  away  slaves  into  Assyria ;  whence 
they  afterwards  dispersed  themselves  into  other  countries. 

The  tribes  of  Juda  and  Benjamin,  of  which  consisted  the 
kingdom  of  Juda,  were  removed  to  Babylon  by  Nabucho- 
donosor,  where  they  were  subjected  to  a  severe  captivity  for 
seventy  years.  These  bounds  of  time  God  set  to  his  justice, 
and  then  the  affection  of  the  Father  returned.  They  re- 
pented of  their  iniquities  ;  he  replaced  them  in  their  country, 
and  renewed  his  blessings  to  them.  Some  of  the  Israelites 
returned  also  from  Assyria,  and  uniting  themselves  to  the 
Jews,  formed  one  body  with  them. 

After  a  period  of  years,  the  term  arrived,  in  which  their 
fidelity  was  to  be  put  to  the  strictest  test.  The  principal  of  all 
the  divine  dispensations  to  man,  the  redemption  of  the  world, 
was  now  to  be  performed.  The  great  personage,  the  Son  of 
God,  who  was  to  execute  the  work,  had  been  announced  to 
the  Jews  by  their  prophets,  and  was  to  be  born  of  tlieir 
race.  A  command  from  heaven  had  been  given  them, 
through  the  channel  of  the  same  prophets,  to  receive  him  as 
their  promised  Messiah,  to  acknowedge  hijn  for  their  new  Le- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  209 

gislator,  and  to  accept  his  doctrine  and  laws  in  lieu  of  those 
they  had  hitherto  followed ;  and  that  they  might  not  mistake 
his  person,  their  prophets  had  given  them  a  full  description 
of  his  character,  of  the  time  of  his  coming,  of  the  tenor  of 
his  life,  and  his  extraordinary  miraculous  w^orks.  But  when 
he  appeared,  his  character  and  garb  not  answering  to  the 
carnal  notions  they  had  formed  to  themselves  of  his  supposed 
power  and  grandeur,  they  refused  to  receive  him.  They 
expected  in  their  Messiah,  a  mighty  conqueror,  a  potent 
monarch,  who  would  raise  them  above  all  other  nations. 
They  would  not  understand  that  the  blessings  designed  by 
the  divine  wisdom  to  adurn  and  signalize  the  Messiah,  were  of 
a  far  nobler,  sublimer,  and  more  lasting  nature,  than  all 
that  worldly  pomp  and  imaginary  dominion  their  hearts 
were  set  upon.  As  therefore  these  temporal  views  and  ex- 
pectations they  did  not  find  in  the  humble  and  low  condition 
in  which  Christ  appeared,  they  rejected  their  God  and 
Saviour,  they  despised  his  doctrine,  they  contemned  and  blas- 
phemed his  miracles,  they  treated  his  sacred  person  with  the 
utmost  indignity,  and  even  proceeded  to  such  an  unparalleled 
instance  of  impiety,  as  to  put  him  to  death.  This  enormous 
crime,  the  greatest  they  had  been  or  could  be  guilty  of,  drew 
the  whole  torrent  of  divine  wrath  upon  them.  They  had 
said :  "  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children."  Matt. 
xxvii.  25.  And  effectually  their  horrible  imprecations  fell 
upon  their  own  heads  and  upon  their  children  also.  Within 
less  than  the  space  of  forty  years  after,  the  Almighty  sent 
upon  them  his  scourge ;  the  Romans,  who  ravaged  their 
country,  destroyed  their  city  and  temple ;  and  after  that  an 
innumerable  muhitude  of  them  had  perished  by  famine, 
plague,  and  the  sword,  the  remainder  were  expelled  Judea, 
and  scattered  over  the  whole  face  of  the  earth,  conformably  to 
the  prediction  of  our  Saviour :  "  There  shall  be  great  dis- 
tress in  the  land,  and  wrath  upon  this  people,  (the  Jews.) 
And  they  shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  sword ;  and  shall  be 
led  away  captives  into  all  nations."  Luke  xxi.  23,  24.  In 
this  desolate  condition,  without  any  fixed  abode  or  govern- 
ment, the  contempt  of  mankind,  they  have  remained  for  1700 
years,  and  thus  they  still  continue  a  dreadful  and  lasting  mo- 
nument of  the  divine  indignation. 

But  it  must  be  observed  that,  notwithstanding  this  most 

terrible,  most  severe,  and  most  lasting  of  all  the  punishments 

the  Almighty  has  inflicted  upon  the  Jews,  nevertheless  he 

has  not  utterly  exterminated  them.     Their  race  subsists,  and 

18* 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUHCH. 

is  very  numerous.  The  calamities  and  oppression  they  hare 
■underoone,  would  probably  have  extinguished  any  other 
people,  but  they  are  still  preserved  by  a  special  protection  for 
a  future  g-reat  purpose.  The  manifold  benefits  the  Saviour  of 
mankind  came  to  confer  on  the  world,  were  first  oti'ered  to  the 
Jews,  but  being  rejected,  they  were  transferred  to  the  Gentiles 
who  took  the  place  of  that  people  in  the  favour  of  God. 
"Therefore  1  say  to  you,  (the  Messiah  told  them,)  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from  you,  and  shall  be  given 
to  a  nation  yielding  the  fruits  thereof"  Matth.  xxi.  43.  In 
consequence  of  this  divine  determination,  the  light  of  faith 
and  the  happy  tidings  of  salvation  were  carried  to  other  na- 
tions, that  lav  buried  in  gross  ignorance,  and  in  the  darkness 
of  idolatry;  they  were  taught  the  true  knowledge  of  God, 
and  of  Christ  their  Saviour,  w4iich  they  embraced,  and  be- 
came the  people  of  God  by  becoming  Christians.  But  when 
the  merciful  dispensations  of  heaven  to  the  Gentiles  shall  be 
completed,  that  is,  when  the  gospel  of  Christ  shall  have  been 
fully  preached  to  mankind,  and  the  number  of  converts  to 
Christianity,  designed  by  the  Almighty,  shall  be  filled  up, 
and  the  end  of  the  world  approaching,  then  the  last  posterity 
of  the  Jewish  people  shall  experience  that  bounty,  which  the 
Almighty  has  hitherto  suspended  for  many  ages,  but  in  his 
mercy  has  kept  in  reserve  for  them. 

He  will  then  take  from  them  their  heart  of  stone,  and  give 
them  a  heart  of  flesh  :  he  will  make  them  sensible  of  their  past 
blindness  and  obstinacy,  will  open  their  eyes  to  acknowledge 
Christ  their  Messiah  and  Saviour,  and  in  fine  by  making 
them  Christians,  will  receive  them  anew  into  his  favour. 
This  doctrine  we  learn  from  St.  Paul :  "  hath  God  cast  away 
his  people,"  (the  Jews,)  says  he;  "  God  forbid. — For  I  would 
not  have  you  ignorant,  brethren,  of  this  mystery,  lest  you 
should  be  wise  in  your  own  conceits,  that  blindness  in  part 
hath  happened  in  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles 
should  come  in  ;  and  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved,  as  it  is 
written  :  there  shall  come  out  of  Sion,  He  that  shall  deliver, 
and  shall  turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob  :  and  this  is  to 
them  my  covenant:  when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins." 
Rom.  xi.  25,  26,  27.  This  passage  of  St.  Paul  expresses  so 
fully  the  future  conversion  of  the  Jews  to  Christianity,  that  on 
it,  as  chief  basis,  is  built  the  sentiment  of  the  fathers  of  the 
Church,  who  are  so  unanimous  on  that  head,  that  it  is  need- 
less to  quote  any  of  them. 

The  dispersion  therefore  of  the  Jews  and  their  long  captivi- 


HISTORY  or  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  211 

ty  are  to  have  a  period,  but  a  period  determined  by  that  event, 
the  vocation  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  faith,  which  when  fulfilled, 
the  Jews  are  to  be  re-assembled  from  all  the  corners  of  the 
earth,  will  be  converted  to  Christianity,  and  re-established  in 
that  same  land  they  formerly  inhabited,  and  which  was  given 
by  the  Almighty  himself  to  their  ancestors.  This  singular 
economy  of  God  towards  that  people  is  also  in  part  made 
known  to  us  by  our  Saviour,  in  those  his  words:  "They 
(the  Jews)  shall  be  led  away  captives  into  all  nations ;  and 
Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  by  the  Gentiles,  till  the  times 
of  the  nations  be  fulfilled."  Luke  xxi.  24.  But  the  whole  is 
beautifully  described  by  many  of  the  ancient  prophets.  A 
few  of  those  instances  shall  here  be  put  down.  Thus  pro- 
phesied Azarias,  in  the  reign  of  Asa,  king  of  Juda :  "  Many 
days  shall  pass  in  Israel,  without  the  true  God,  and  without  a 
priest  or  teacher,  and  without  the  law.  And  when  in  their 
distress  they  shall  return  to  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
shall  seek  him,  they  shall  find  him."  2  Paralip.  xv.  3,  4. 
Thus  spoke  the  prophet  Osee,  about  800  years  before  Christ: 
■*'  The  children  of  Israel  shall  sit  many  days  without  king, 
and  without  prince,  and  without  sacrifice,  without  altar,  and 
without  Ephod,  and  without  theraphim :  and  after  this  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  return,  and  shall  seek  the  Lord  their 
God,  and  David  their  king ;  and  they  shall  fear  the  Lord 
and  his  goodness,  in  the  last  days,"  c.  3.  v.  4,  5.  Here  the 
prophet  first  describes  the  present  forlorn  state  of  the  Jews, 
without  either  fixed  settlement  or  government,  temple  or  sa- 
crifice :  then  he  informs  us,  that  in  the  last  days  they  will 
return  to  God  and  seek  David  their  king,  that  is,  the  true 
Messiah,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  of  the  race  of  David  and  his 
successor  in  the  kingdom  of  Juda.  "  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  in  that  day,""  says  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "  that  the  Lord 
shall  set  his  hand  the  second  time  to  possess  the  remnant  of 
his  people,  which  shall  be  left  from  the  Assyrians,  and  from 
Egypt,  and  from  Phetros,  and  from  Ethiopia,  and  from  Elam, 
and  from  Senaar,  and  from  Emath,  and  from  the  Islands  of  the 
sea;  and  he  shall  set  up  a  standard  unto  the  nations,  and  shall 
assemble  the  fugitives  of  Israel,  and  shall  gather  together  the 
dispersed  of  Juda,  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,"  xi.  11. 
The  prophet  Jeremiah  prophesies  on  the  same  subject,  in  the 
following  strain:  "Behold  the  whirlwind  of  the  Lord,  his 
fury  going  forth  a  violent  storm,  it  shall  rest  upon  the  head  of 
the  wicked.  The  Lord  will  not  turn  away  the  wrath  of  his 
indignation,  till  he  have  executed  and  performed  the  thoughts 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

of  his  heart.  In  the  last  days  you  shall  understand  these 
things.  At  that  time,  says  the  Lord,  I  will  be  the  God  of  all 
the  femilies  of  Israel,  and  they  shall  be  my  people,"  xxx.  23, 
24,  and  xxxi.  1.  Here  the  anger  of  God  is  announced  to  fall 
upon  the  head  of  the  wicked,  that  is,  upon  Antichrist  and  his 
society ;  which  the  Jews  will  understand,  or  see  executed  in 
the  last  days.  About  that  time  the  Lord  will  become  the  God 
of  all  the  families  or  tribes  of  Israel,  and  they  will  become  his 
people.  In  like  manner,  by  the  mouth  of  the  prophet  Eze- 
chiel,  we  hear  the  Almighty  speaking  thus  to  the  Jews:  "  I 
will  take  you  from  among  the  Gentiles,  and  will  gather  you 
together  out  of  all  the  countries,  and  will  bring  you  into  your 
own  land.  And  I  will  give  you  a  new  heart,  and  put  a  new  spirit 
within  you  :  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your 
flesh,  and  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh.  And  you  shall  dwell 
in  the  land  which  I  gave  to  your  fathers  ;  and  you  shall  be  my 
people,  and  I  will  be  your  God,"  xxxvi.  24,  &c.  We  shall 
close  these  prophecies  with  a  passage  from  Micheas  :  "  It 
shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  that  the  mountain  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord  shall  be  prepared  in  the  top  of  mountains, 
and  high  above  the  hills,  and  people  shall  flow  to  it.  In 
that  day,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  gather  up  her  that  halteth ; 
and  her  that  I  had  cast  out  I  will  gather  up,  and  her  whom  I 
had  afflicted.  And  I  will  make  her  that  halted,  a  remnant ; 
and  her  that  had  been  afflicted,  a  mighty  nation  :  and  the  Lord 
will  reign  over  them  in  Mount  Sion,  from  this  time  now^  and 
for  ever,"  iv.  1,  6,  7. 

It  being  then  the  gracious  design  of  the  Almighty  to  receive 
again  the  Jews  into  his  favour,  by  their  conversion  to  Christ- 
ianity, at  the  period  we  are  speaking  of,  when  they  are  gather- 
ing together  at  Jerusalem ;  it  is  now  to  be  examined  by  what 
means  that  great  work  is  to  be  efl^ected,  and  who  is  to  be  the 
happv  instrument  of  it.  All  antiquity  and  tradition  tells  us, 
that  Elias  is  the  person.  And  these  vouchers  are  grounded 
on  the  express  word  of  the  scripture.  Thus  spoke  God  to  the 
Jews  by  the  mouth  of  his  prophet  Malachy :  "  Behold  I  will 
send  you  Elias  the  prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord:  And  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of 
the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to 
their  fathers :  lest  I  come  and  strike  the  earth  with  anathema," 
iv.  5,  6.  Here  the  Almighty  promises,  that  before  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  judgment,  he  will  send  the  prophet  Elias, 
who  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the 
heart  of  the  children  to  the  fathers,  that  is,  he  will  convert  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  213 

Jews,  by  convincins^  them  that  their  Messiah  is  that  very  Jesus 
whom  they  have  rejected,  and  by  such  conviction  he  will  re- 
concile them  to  their  fathers  the  patriarchs,  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob  :  who  believed  in  Christ  to  come,  expected  him, 
and  desired  to  see  his  day,  (John  viii.  56,)  while  the  Jews  by 
the  preaching  of  Elias  will  believe  in  him  already  come:  and 
thus  will  ensure  a  mutual  reconciliation ;  the  fathers  and  the 
children,  who  had  been  divided  from  the  time  of  Christ's 
coming-,  will  be  re-united  in  the  same  faith  and  obedience  to 
God.  This  work  will  be  done  lest  I  come,  says  the  Lord, 
and  strike  the  earth  with  anathema,  or,  with  utter  destruc- 
tion ;  that  is,  lest  the  whole  body  of  the  Jewish  people  perish 
at  the  last  day  for  want  of  faith  in  their  Saviour ;  and  also 
lest  there  should  be  found  at  that  time  so  few  among  men 
deserving  mercy,  on  account  of  their  infidelity  and  irreligion, 
as  to  oblige  the  Almighty  to  strike  the  earth  with  utter  de- 
struction, or  in  other  words,  to  condemn  almost  the  whole  bulk 
of  mankind. 

The  conversion  therefore  of  the  Jews  to  Christianity  is  to 
be  the  principal  function  of  Elias.  For  this  design  he  has 
been  reserved  by  the  wisdom  and  bounty  of  God,  and  not  been 
suffered  to  die.  While  Eliseus  was  walking  with  him,  ha 
was  taken  away  by  the  divine  hand  from  the  earth,  and  con- 
veyed to  some  place  unknown  to  mankind.  "  As  they  (Elias 
and  Eliseus)  Avent  on,  walking  and  talking  together,  behold, 
a  fiery  chariot  and  fiery  horses  parted  them  both  asunder:  and 
Elias  went  up  by  a  wliirlwind  into  heaven."  4  Kings  ii.  11. 
Elias  therefore  still  exists  in  life,  and  will  remain  so,  till  he 
returns  again  upon  earth,  in  full  vigour,  vested  with  that 
extraordinary  commission  from  the  Most  High,  to  remove  the 
veil  of  darkness  that  hangs  before  the  eyes  of  the  Jews,  to 
show  them  their  past  error,  and  introduce  them  into  the  fold 
of  Christ  their  God  and  Redeemer. 

That  such  will  be  the  office  committed  to  Elias,  we  also 
learn  very  clearly  from  the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus,  chap, 
xlvii;.  V.  4,  9,  10,  where  it  is  said:  "  Who  can  glory  like  to 
thee,  Elias?  Who  wast  taken  up  in  a  whirlwind  of  fire, 
in  a  chiriot  of  fiery  horses.  Who  art  registered  in  the 
judgments  of  times,  to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  Lord,  to  re- 
concile the  heart  of  the  father  to  the  son,  and  to  restore  the 
tribes  of  Jacob.''  Elias  is  here  said  by  the  inspired  writer, 
to  be  registered  in  the  judgments  of  times,  that  is,  destined 
to  be,  at  an  appointed  time,  a  kind  of  mediator,  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  the  Lord,  irritated  against  the  Jews  for  their  in- 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

fidelity ;  to  reconcile  the  heart  of  the  father  to  the  son,  by 
bringing  them  to  the  faith  and  the  holy  sentiments  of  the 
patriarchs  their  ancestors,  as  we  said  above  ;  and  in  fine,  he 
is  destined  to  restore  the  tribes  of  Jacob  to  the  favour  of  God, 
by  teaching  them  to  acknowledge  his  divine  son  Jesus  for 
their  Messiah.  He  will  restore  the  tribes  of  Jacob,  by  re-en- 
grafting them  on  the  true  olive  tree,  from  whence,  according 
to  the  Apostle,  they  had  been  cut  off'  for  their  infidelity. 
"  Because  of  unbelief,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  they  were  broken 
oK  And  if  they  abide  not  in  unbelief,  they  shall  be  grafted 
in :  for  God  is  able  to  graft  them  in  again.  For  if  thou 
(Gentile)  wert  cut  off  the  wild  olive  tree,  which  is  natural  to 
thee ;  and  contrary  to  nature,  were  grafted  into  the  good  olive 
tree ;  how  much  shall  they,  the  Jews,  that  are  the  natural 
branches,  be  grafted  in  their  own  olive  tree  ?  For, 
blindness  in  part  has  happened  in  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of 
the  Gentiles  should  come  in  ;  and  so  all  Israel  should  be 
saved."  Rom.  xi.  20,  23,  &c.  The  same  account  of  Elias 
is  confirmed  by  our  Saviour,  who  told  his  disciples  :  "  Elias 
indeed  shall  come,  and  shall  restore  ail  things."  Matth. 
xvii.  11.  But  let  us  here  observe,  that  the  expression  of  the 
book  of  Ecclesiasticus,  Elias  will  restore  the  tribes  of  Jacob, 
and  that  of  our  Saviour,  Elias  will  restore  all  things,  seem 
to  indicate  more  than  the  conversion  of  the  Jewish  nation  to 
the  faith,  as  this  conversion  is  sufficiently  insinuated  in  the 
expression  of  Elias,  appeasing  the  wrath  of  God,  and  recon- 
ciling the  heart  of  the  father  to  the  son.  It  appears  there- 
fore probable,  that  Elias  will,  by  divine  instruction,  discover 
to  the  Jews  the  original  distinction  of  their  tribes,  which 
they  seem  to  have  confounded  and  lost :  then  that  he  will 
restore  the  tribes  to  their  primitive  possessions,  by  re-esta- 
blishing them  in  their  ancient  land  of  Judcea,  each  tribe  in 
his  new  respective  partition,  as  m.arked  out  by  Ezekiel, 
ch.  48.  The  execution  of  this  work  will  not  at  all  be  im- 
possible to  the  prophet,  as  he  will  be  endued  with  so  ample 
a  degree  of  authority  from  God,  and  so  extraordinary  a 
power  of  working  miracles.  This  observation  will  be  con- 
firmed in  the  sequel  from  the  ancient  prophets,  who  represent 
the  Jews  in  full  possession  of  the  Holy  Land  after  the  time  of 
Antichrist. 

But  if  the  Almighty,  through  his  special  mercy  to  the 
Jews,  appoints  them  a  teacher  in  Elias,  to  bring  them  back 
into  the  true  path,  from  which  they  have  so  long  strayed,  it 
is  not  to  be  imajjined  he  leaves  the  rest  of  the  world  without 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  215 

the  same  kind   of  assistance.      A  teacher  of  extraordinary 
power    and   virtue   will    be  more  wanted,   as    iniquity    will 
abound  in  these  times,  and  even  the  good  will  be  exposed  to 
dangerous  and  most  severe  trials.      To  answer  this  exigency, 
the    all-bountiful    God    will    send    another    agent,   namely, 
Henoch.      We  learn  from  Moses  that  this  patriarch  by  a  par- 
ticular   privilege     was    preserved    from     death:     "Henoch 
walked  with  God,  and  was  seen  no  more,  because  God  took 
him."       Gen.    v   24.     We  learn  the  same   from   St.  Paul : 
*'  By  fiiih  Henoch  was  taken  away  that  he  should  not  see 
death ;  and   he  was  not  found  because  God   had  taken  him 
away."    Rom.  xi.  5.     In  the  whole  class  of  mankind  Henoch 
and  Elias  are  the  only  two  persons  to  be  found,  that  have  not 
paid  the  debt  of  nature  ;  which  is   deferred,   till  they  shall 
have    completed   the   functions  to   which  they  are  destined, 
and  which   are  not  to  take  place  till  the  latter  days.     They 
will  then   have,  each,  their  separate   commission.      That  of 
Elias  will  be,   as   we  have  seen,  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
&c.,  or,  to  restore  the  tribes  of  Jacob 5   while  Henoch  will  be 
sent  to   preach  to  the  Gentiles,  as  we  learn  from  the  book  of 
Ecclesiasticus  :  "  Henoch   pleased    God,  and  was  translated 
into  Paradise,  that  he  may  give  repentance  to  the  nations," 
xliv.    16.      The  object  therefore  of  Henoch's  ministry  is  to 
give    repentance  to  the  nations,  to  withdraw  idolaters  from 
idolatry,  to    move  bad  Christians  to  repentance  and  bring 
them  back  into  the  ways  of  virtue,  and  in  fine  to  stem  the 
prevailing  tide  of  iniquity.      In  the  same  manner  then  as 
St.   Peter  was    appointed  the    apostle  of   the   Jews,  and  St. 
Paul  the  apostle  of  nations.  Gal.  ii.  7,  8;  so  Elias   will  be 
sent,  chiefly  to  the   former,  an-d   Henoch  to  the  latter ;  but 
as    the  preaching  of   each   of  the  two  apostles  was  not  en- 
tirely confined  to  either  body  of  people,  but  sometimes   ex- 
tended to   both ;   so  likewise  Elias  and  Henoch  will  some- 
times mix  their  labours  in  favour  of  both  Jews  and  nations. 
It  is  here  further  to  be  observed,  that  Flenoch  represents  the 
ancient  patriarchs  and  people  who  lived  under  the  law  of 
nature;  and   Elias  the   Jewish    prophets   with    that  peop'o, 
who   were  bound  to  the  Mosaic  mstitution :  so  that  by  their 
preaching   the  Christian  religion  we  understand  that  both 
th:3  patriarchs  and  the  prophe^ts,  both  the  law  of  nature  and 
the  Mosaic,  will  appear  again,  if  fche  expression  be  allowed, 
upon  the  stage  of  the  world,  to  concur  in  giving  testimony  to 
Christ. 

The  two  messengers  of  God,  Henoch  and  Elias,  are  the 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

two  witnesses,  whose  appearance  and  functions  are  described 
by  St.  John  in  the  Apocalypse  :  "  And  I  will  giv^e  unto  my  two 
witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred* 
sixty  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth,"  xi.  3.  God  will  give 
unto  these,  his  two  witnesses,  the  spirit  of  preaching  and 
prophecy:  by  virtue  of  which  they  will  preach  and  prophesy 
for  a  time,  that  is  limited  to  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
days,  that  is  forty-two  months  of  thirty  days  each,  or  three 
years  and  a  half  During  this  period  of  their  ministry 
they  will  imitate  the  conduct  observed  by  St.  John  Baptist 
on  his  preaching,  by  showing  in  themselves  the  examples  of 
a  penitential  life,  and  practising  the  austerities  of  mortifi- 
cation, as  appears  by  the  expression,  that  they  will  be  clothed 
in  sackcloth.  And  such  example,  doubtless,  will  add  great 
weight  to  their  preaching. 

St.  John  continues  to  describe  the  two  witnesses  :  "  These  are 
two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks  that  stand  before  the 
Lord  of  the  earth,"  xi.  4.  Henoch  and  Eliasare  compared  to 
olive  trees  ;  because,  as  olive  trees  yield  the  unctious  sub- 
stance of  oil,  so  these  two  powerful  preachers  will  enrich 
mankind  with  the  streams  of  the  grace  of  God,  aptly  repre- 
sented by  the  richness  of  oil.  They  are  also  said  to  be  the 
two  candlesticks  that  stand  before  the  Lond,  or  God,  of  the 
earth ;  because  as  candlesticks  are  set  up  to  diffuse  light,  so 
they  will  carry  the  light  of  faith  to  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  Here  the  apostle  applies  to  them  a  passage  in  the 
prophecy  of  Zachary :  "  These  are  two  sons  of  oil,  who 
stand  before  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth."      Zach.  iv.  14. 

St.  John  proceeds :  "  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  (the 
two  witnesses,)  fire  shall  come  out  of  their  mouths,  and  shall 
devour  their  enemies  :  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  in  this 
manner  must  he  be  slain."' 

"  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy "  and  they  have  power  o\'er  waters  to 
turn  them  into  blood,  and  to  strike  the  earth  with  all  plagues 
as  often  as  they  will."  Apoc.  xi.  5,  6.  Here  are  expressed  the 
miraculous  powers,  with  which  the  two  witnesses,  Henoch  and 
Elias,  will  be  vested.  Such  powers  will  be  necessary,  to 
enable  them  to  prove  their  mission,  and  to  give  weight  to  their 
preaching.  Every  messenger,  who  appears  with  a  new  com- 
mission from  God,  is  always  furnished  with  unquestionable 
proofs  of  such  his  commission  :  and  these  proofs  are  no  other 
than  miraculous  works.  Thus  did  our  Saviour,  the  Apostles, 
and  first  planters  of  Christianity,  prove  the  divine  authority  of 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  217 

their  mission,  and  the  truth  of  their  doctrine.     Every  new 
teacher,  who  comes  destitute  of  such  a  sanction,  can  claim  no    • 
credit,  but  will  be  deemed  an  impostor. 

Among  the  numerous  miracles  Henoch  and  Elias  will  per- 
form, here  is  particular  mention  of  some.  If  any  one  offers  to 
hurt  them,  to  injure  them,  or  attempt  to  seize  them  in  order  to 
put  them  to  death,  fire  will  come  out  of  their  mouths,  or,  they 
will  command  fire  to  come  forth  and  devour  those  enemies. 
The  same  terrible  punishment  Elias,  while  on  earth,  inflicted 
upon  the  fifty  men,  whom  king  Ochozias  sent  to  apprehend 
him.  The  captain  of  the  fifty  men,  said  to  Elias:  "  Man  of 
God,  the  king  has  commanded  that  thou  come  down.  Elias  ,. 
answering,  said  to  the  captain  of  the  fifty:  11  I  be  a  man  of 
God,  let  fire  come  down  from  heaven,  and  consume  thee  and 
thy  fifty.  And  there  came  down  fire  from  heaven  and  con- 
sumed him  and  the  fifty  that  were  with  him.''  4  Kings  i.  9, 
10.  The  second  miracle  of  Henoch  and  Elias  mentioned  in 
our  text  is,  that  they  will  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy.  At  their  command,  no  rain  will  fall 
during  the  three  years  and  a  half  of  their  preaching:  which 
drought  will  naturally  produce  a  famine.  This  calamity  they 
will  probably  be  inspired  to  call  for,  in  order  to  make  man- 
kind sensible  of  the  wrath  of  God  that  is  armed  against  them, 
to  induce  them  to  enter  into  themselves,  and  withdraw  from 
their  evil  ways.  Elias  had  formerly  worked  the  same  won- 
der, as  we  learn  from  the  third  book  of  Kings,  where  he  is 
introduced  speaking  to  Achab,  king  of  Israel,  in  the  following 
manner  :  "  Elias  the  Thesite  said  to  Achab  :  As  the  Lord 
liveth,  the  God  of  Israel,  in  whose  sight  I  stand,  there  shall 
not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to  the  words 
of  my  mouth"  3  Kings  xvii.  1.  This  drought,  announced 
by  Elias,  lasted  three  years  and  a  half,  as  we  learn  from  St. 
Luke's  Gospel,  c.  4.  v.  25,  and  St.  James'  Epistle,  c.  5.  v.  17. 
The  third  miracle  ascribed  to  the  two  wonder-workers  is  the 
turning  waters  into  blood.  This  was  also  performed  in  Egypt  ffc 
by  Moses.  In  fine,  it  is  said  they  will  have  power  to  strike 
the  earth  with  all  plagues  as  often  as  they  will.  Here  is  then 
a  general  power  put  into  their  hands  to  inflict  on  mankind 
whatsoever  calamities  and  disasters  they  may  judge  proper, 
either  for  their  own  defence,  or  to  punish  the  enemies  of  God, 
or  to  brino-  men  back  to  a  sense  of  religion.  Such  surpri- 
sing wonders  worked  by  the  hands  of  Henoch  and  Elias  will 
undoubtedly  make  impression  upon  mankind,  and  being  en- 
forced by  a  vigorous  preaching  will  bring  many  to  repentance. 
19 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

The  preceding  observations  show  us,  then,  who  are  the  two 
witnesses  spoken  of  by  St.  John,  and  what  will  be  at  least,  in 
pare,  the  object  of  their  mission.  If  a  further  confirmation  be 
demanded,  we  have  for  vouchers  all  antiquity.  We  may 
begin  with  St.  Justin,  who  says  :  "  our  Saviour  himself  teaches 
that  Elias  will  come;  and  we  know  that  will  happen  towards 
the  time  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  to  come  from  heaven 
in  his  glory."  Dial,  cum  Try  ph.  TertuUian  speaks  in  the 
following  manner :  "  Henoch  and  Elias  have  been  taken 
away,  nor  do  we  find  any  account  of  their  dying,  because  their 
death  has  been  delayed :  but  they  must  however  one  day  die, 
that  by  their  blood  Antichrist  may  be  extinguished."  De 
anima,  c.  50.  St.  Hyppolitus  martyr,  says  :  "  St.  John  Bap- 
tist was  the  precursor  of  the  first  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Elias  and  Henoch  will  be  the  precursors  of  the  second."  Oral, 
de  Antichristo.  St.  Ephrem  comforts  us  by  saying ;  "  God 
in  his  mercy  will  send  Henoch  and  Elias,  who  will  exhort 
mankind  not  to  believe  in  Antichrist."  Semi,  de  Antichr. 
Lactantius  seems  to  indicate  Elias  in  the  following  words: 
"  When  the  end  of  time  will  be  approaching,  God  will  send  a 
great  prophet,  to  recall  mankind  to  the  knowledge  of  their 
God,  and  who  will  have  power  of  doing  great  wonders." 
Instit.  lib.  7.  c.  17.  St.  Hilary,  explaining  the  words  of  our 
Saviour,  says:  "Christ  told  his  disciples  that  Elias  would 
come  and  re-establish  all  things,  that  is,  that  Elias  vv'ould 
come  to  bring  back  all  the  Israelites  that  remain,  to  the 
knowledge  of  their  God."  Cap.  17.  in  Matt.  St.  Jerom  tells 
that,  "  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Malachy,  Elias  will 
appear  before  the  second  coming  of  our  Saviour,  and  will  an- 
nounce the  approach  of  judgment."  In  Matth.  xi.  And  in 
another  place:  "  When  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  will  be 
come  in,  all  Israel  shall  be  saved  ;  because  then  the  prophet 
Elias  will  come,  and  will  reconcile  and  turn  the  heart  of  the 
fathers  to  their  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  the 
fathers,  and  the  new  people  will  be  re-united  to  the  ancient." 
In  cap.  4  Zach.  And  in  his  letter  to  St.  Marcella,  he  tells 
her  that,  "  according  to  the  Apocalypse,  Henoch  and  Elias 
are  to  come  again  and  then  to  die."  We  read  in  St,  Am- 
brose that,  "  the  beast  which  is  Antichrist,  will  rise  up  from 
the  abyss  to  fight  against  Elias  and  Henoch,  who  will  have 
been  sent  again  upon  earth  to  give  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ, 
as  we  learn  from  the  Apocalypse  of  St.  John."  In  Psalm  45. 
St.  Augiistin  informs  us  of  the  opinion  of  his  times  :  "  Nothing 
is  more  common,"  says  he,  "  in  the  discourse  of  the  faithful, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  219 

than  that  the  Jews  will  be  converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ  by 
the  great  prophet  Elias  :  for  it  is  with  reason  believed,  that  he 
is  yet  living,  and  is  expected  to  appear  before  the  coming  of 
our  Saviour  to  judgment."  De  civ.  Dei,  lib.  20.  c.  19.  And 
again:  "  It  is  believed  that  Henoch  and  Elias  will  return  to 
pay  the  common  debt  of  nature,  that,  though  their  death  has 
been  deferred,  they  will  nevertheless  die."  Ad.  cap.  6  Gen. 
St.  John  Chrysostom  tells  us :  "  The  prophets  announce  two 
comings  of  Christ,  and  say  that  Elias  will  be  the  forerunner 
of  the  second."  In  Matth.  horn.  58.  St.  Prosper  writes  as 
follows:  "As  God  sent  against  Pharaoh  two  witnesses, 
Moses  and  Aaron ;  and  against  Nero  two  witnesses,  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul,  so  likewise  he  will  send  against  Antichrist  two 
witnesses,  Henoch  and  Elias."  Dimid.  Temp.  r.  13.  In 
fine,  St.  Gregory  the  Great  speaks  thus  on  the  same  subject : 
"  Those  two  eminent  preachers,  Henoch  and  Elias  have  been 
taken  aw^ay,  and  their  death  delayed,  that  they  may  return  to 
preach,  in  the  last  days  It  is  of  them  that  St.  John  says  in 
the  Apocalypse :  These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two 
candlesticks  that  stand  before  the  Lord  of  the  earth  :  of  whom 
Christ  has  promised  one  in  the  gospel,  saying:  Elias  will 
come  and  will  restore  all  things  :  They  are  two  stars  that  are 
covered,  and  do  not  appear  at  present,  but  will  appear  here- 
after for  the  advantage  of  the  world,  and  great  numbers  of 
Jewish  people  vv'ill  be  converted  to  the  Faith."  In  Job.  lib.  9. 
c.  3.  Thus  do  the  ancient  fathers  agree  in  asserting  the  re- 
turn of  Henoch  and  Elias,  and  in  explaining  the  functions  of 
their  mmistry.  The  same  has  been  the  general  language  of 
ecclesiastical  writers,  in  all  succeeding"  ao-es. 

Hence,  then,  appears  the  absurd  presumption  of  those,  who, 
from  their  enmity  to  the  Catholic  communion,  have  asserted 
the  two  witnesses  to  be,  not  two  single  persons,  but  the  wiiole 
succession  of  heretics,  who  in  different  ages  have  revolted 
from  the  Moth^^r-Church,  and  abused  her  doctrine. 

These  two  messengers  of  God,  these  two  candlesticks  that 
stand  before  the  Lord  of  the  earth,  will  therefore  be  two  great 
lights  that  will  shine  in  the  Church  of  Christ  in  the  last  age. 
Vested  with  the  divine  commission,  they  will  enter  upon  their 
ministr}''  with  extraordinary  vigour  and  zeal.  Henoch  will 
proceed  forth  to  preach  penance  to  different  nations  ;  while 
Elias  will  chiefly  employ  his  labours  at  Jerusalem  and  in 
Judsea  for  the  conversion  of  the  Jews,  which  he  will  success- 
fully effect  by  the  energy  of  his  preaching,  by  the  power  of 
his  miracles,  and  the  abundance  of  divine  graces  which  will 


220  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

then  flow  in  upon  that  people.  They,  recovering  themselves 
as  from  a  profound  sleep,  and  opening- their  eyes  to  the  bright 
light  which  Eiias  will  expose  to  them,  they  will  see  their  past 
blindness,  will  be  confounded  at  their  past  errors,  and  will  be 
deeply  touched  at  their  long  ingratitude  to  their  God.  They 
will  then  recollect,  in  bitterness  of  heart,  what  the  Almighty 
had  formerly  urged  to  them,  pre-admoni?hing  them  of  their 
late  unhappy  state.  "  Behold,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  not 
shortened  that  it  cannot  save,  neither  is  his  ear  heavy,  that  it 
cannot  hear.  But  your  iniquities  have  divided  between  you 
and  your  God,  and  your  sins  have  hid  his  face  from  you,  that 
he  should  not  hear.  For  your  hands  are  defiled  with  blood, 
and  your  fingers  with  iniquity."  Isai.  lix.  1,  2,  3.  They  will 
acknowledge  the  justice  of  this  reproach,  making  the  follow- 
ing humble  reply:  "Therefore  has  judgment  been  far  from 
us. — We  looked  for  light,  and  behold  darkness  :  brightness, 
and  we  have  walked  in  the  dark.  We  have  groped  for  the 
wall,  and  like  the  blind,  we  have  groped  as  if  we  had  no 
eyes  :  we  have  stumbled  at  noon-day,  as  in  darkness."  Ibid. 
V.  9,  10.  From  the  full  and  clear  instructions  of  Elias,  they 
will  evidently  see  that  all  the  difTerent  characters,  ascribed  by 
the  prophets  to  the  Messiah,  are  found  in  Jesus  Christ;  they 
will  acknowledge  his  miracles;  and  in  deep  anguish  will 
bewail  the  obstinac}^  of  their  forefathers,  who  shut  their  eyes 
to  such  evidence,  and  with  unparalleled  impiety  put  to  death 
the  author  of  life,  and  in  consequence  entailed  upon  their  pos- 
terity such  long  and  severe  judgments.  In  viewing  that 
horrible  crime,  committed  against  the  sacred  person  of  Christ, 
they  will  break  out  into  sorrowful  lamentations  and  tears  of 
compunction.  "  I  will  pour  out  upon  the  house  of  David, 
(says  God,)  and  upon  the  inhabitants  o{  Jerusalem,  the  spirit 
of  grace  and  of  prayers:  and  they  shall  look  upon  me,  whom 
they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  him,  as  one 
mourneth  for  an  only  son  :  and  they  shall  grieve  over  him, 
as  the  manner  is  to  grieve  for  the  death  of  the  first-born.  In 
that  day  there  shall  be  a  great  lamentation  in  Jerusalem." 
Zach.  xii.  10,  14.  In  fine,  the  Jews,  now  totally  convinced  of 
the  whole  truth  of  Christianity,  will  unite  in  offering  up  their 
adoration  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  with  a  full  heart  confess  him  to 
be  the  eternal  Son  of  CTod,  the  seed  of  Abraham,  the  race  o\ 
David,  the  king  of  Israel,  the  desired  of  all  nations,  the  pro- 
mised Messiah  and  Saviour  of  the  world. 

Thus  that  new-modelled  people,  after  passing  through  the 
successive  steps  of  surprise,  confusion,  and  repentance,  will  at 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  221 

last  rise  up  to  a  state  of  gladness  and  exultation,  at  the  view 
of  their  present  happiness.  In  a  tide  of  joy  they  will  send  up 
cheir  praises  to  heaven,  and  will  sing  a  canticle  of  thanks- 
giving, which  the  Almighty  himself  has  composed  for  them, 
purposely  as  it  would  seem  for  this  occasion,  and  has  delivered 
by  the  pen  of  his  prophet  Isaiah. 

Chap.  12.  V.  1.  "I  will  give  thanks  to  thee,  O  Lord:  for 
thou  wast  angry  with  me :  thy  wrath  is  turned  away,  and 
thou  hast  comforted  me. 

V.  2.  "  Behold  God  is  my  Saviour,  I  will  deal  confidently, 
and  will  not  fear ;  because  the  Lord  is  my  strength,  and  my 
praise,  and  he  is  become  my  salvation. 

V.  4.  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord,  and  call  upon  his  name :  make 
his  intentions  known  among  the  people — remember  that  his 
name  is  high. 

V.  5.  "  Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  he  has  done  great  things — 
show  this  forth  in  all  the  earth. 

V.  6.  "  Rejoice  and  praise,  O  thou  habitation  of  Sion :  for 
great  is  He  that  is  in  the  midst  of  thee,  the  holy  One  of  Is- 
rael." 

To  which  thanksgiving  they  will  probably  join  this  other: 

"  Lord,  thou  hast  blessed  thy  land  :  thou  hast  turned  away 
the  captivity  of  Jacob. 

"  Thou  hast  forgiven  the  iniquity  of  thy  people  :  thou  hast 
covered  all  their  sins. 

"  Thou  hast  mitigated  all  thy  anger :  thou  hast  turned 
away  from  the  wrath  of  thy  indignation."     Psalm  84. 

The  great  prophet  and  apostle,  Elias,  having  thus  com- 
pleted that  remarkable  work  so  long  before  foretold,  of  break- 
ing down  the  wall  of  separation  that  stood  between  the  Christ- 
ian and  Jewish  people,  and  uniting  them  in  one  society ;  of 
"  converting  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the 
heart  of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  of  restoring  the  tribes  of 
Jacob"  to  the  favour  of  their  God,  and  so  saving  all  Israel ; 
the  happy  event  will  be  carried  upon  the  wings  of  the  wand 
over  all  Christendom,  and  the  voice  of  exultation  and  praises 
of  the  Almighty  will  resound  in  every  quarter  of  the  Church. 

And  now  Elias,  having  fulfilled  this  part  of  his  ministry, 
will  be  at  leisure  to  convert  his  attention  and  labours  to  other 
nations.  Nor  can  we  sufficiently  admire  the  divine  mercy, 
in  sending  such  pow^erful  preachers  as  Henoch  and  Elias,  to 
reform  mankind  at  a  time  that  they  will  have  become  so  uni- 
versally corrupt,  and  that  even  idolatry  will  have  made  its 
appearance  again  upon  the  earth.  They  will  admonish 
19* 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

mankind  of  the  approaching  end  of  the  world,  will  reprove 
them  for  their  profligate  morals  and  infidelity.  "  The  axe  is 
now  laid  to  the  root,"  will  they  say :  "  every  tree,  therefore, 
that  doth  not  yield  good  fruit,  will  be  cut  down  and  cast  into 
the  fire."  Matth.  iii.  10.  They  will  explain  the  prophecies, 
showing  what  part  of  them  has  been  accomplished,  and  what 
remains  to  be  fulfilled  ;  and  they  themselves  will  prophesy. 
Apoe.  xi.  3.  They  will  give  notice  of  the  then  near  approach 
of  Antichrist,  of  his  satanic  efforts  to  make  the  world  aposta- 
tize from  God,  and  of  the  dreadful  persecution  he  will  exer- 
cise against  the  whole  body  of  Christians.  The)?-  will  exhort 
the  people,  with  all  the  energy  of  eloquence,  and  with  a  full 
exertion  of  their  miraculous  powers,  to  return  from  their  ini- 
quities, to  do  penance,  to  embrace  the  mercy  of  God,  which 
soon  will  be  no  more  in  their  power,  and  to  guard  against  the 
terrible  disasters  that  are  ready  to  fall.  In  order  to  give 
more  extent  to  their  labours,  they  will  stir  up  the  zeal  of  the 
pastors  and  priests,  and  will  send  them  forth  with  the  com- 
mission to  renew  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  Church  \vill 
therefore,  at  this  time,  exert  itself  on  all  sides  with  extraordi- 
nary fervour.  Its  ministers,  endued  with  the  apostolic  spirit, 
will,  in  imitation  of  the  apostles,  spread  themselves  every 
where,  even  to  the  remotest  countries,  and  will  make  the 
gospel  again  resound  in  all  parts  of  the  earth.  "  This  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  (says  Christ)  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole 
v^^orld,  for  a  testimony  to  all  nations,  and  then  shall  the  con- 
summation come."     Matth.  xxii.  14. 

This  general  preaching  of  the  Christian  doctrine  in  the 
sixth  or  last  age  of  the  world,  we  also  find  sublimely  set 
forth,  with  other  particulars,  by  our  apostle  and  prophet,  in 
the  tenth  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse. 

V.  1.  "  I  saw,"  says  he,  "another  mighty  angel  come  down 
from  heaven,  clothed  with  a  cloud,  and  a  rainbow  on  his  head, 
and  his  face  was  as  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire." 
The  appearance  of  this  mighty  angel  is  very  remarkable. 
The  difTtjrent  parts  of  his  attire  are  formed  to  bear  a  relation  to 
the  events  he  comes  to  announce.  He  is  clothed  with  a  cloud 
to  indicate  that  a  cloud  of  persecution  is  soon  to  overspread 
the  Church.  He  is  crowned  with  a  rainbow,  as  a  symbol  of 
the  alliance  Christ  has  made  with  his  Church :  first,  to  ex- 
tend her  kingdom  over  the  whole  earth;  "  this  Gospel  of  the 
kingdom,"  said  he,  "shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world." 
Matt.  xxiv.  14  :  secondly,  to  guide  her  in  all  difficulties,  "  be- 
hold I  am  with  you  to  the  end  of  the  world."     Matt,  xxviii. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  223 

20  :  thirdly,  to  protect  her  against  whatever  attacks  may- 
be made  upon  her,  "  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  her."  Matt.  xvi.  18.  Such  is  the  similitude  between 
this  rainbow  and  that  which  Almighty  God  established  after 
the  deluge  for  the  sign  of  his  alliance  or  engagement  with 
mankind,  never  more  to  destroy  the  earth  by  water.  The 
angel's  face  was  as  the  sun;  a  lively  image  of  the  brightness 
with  which  the  Church  will  shine  in  coming  forth  victorious 
from  the  great  persecution  of  Antichrist ;  a  brightness,  arising 
from  her  invincible  faith  and  the  number  of  her  glorious  mar- 
tyrs ;  a  brightness,  that  will  receive  an  additional  lustre  from 
the  extraordinary  zeal  and  sanctity  produced  in  the  Christians 
by  the  persecution.  Lastly,  the  angel's  feet  were  as  pillars  of 
fire ;  the  feet  being  the  extremity  of  the  body,  here  is  signified 
the  ending  of  the  world  by  fire. 

V.  2.  "  And  he  (the  angel)  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book 
open."  The  little  book  in  the  angel's  hand  represents  the 
book  of  the  Gospel,  which  is  not  voluminous;  and  it  is  open, 
as  ready  to  be  divulged  and  preached  over  the  w^hole  world. — 
Thus  in  the  shape  and  equipment  of  the  angel  we  read  an 
epitome  of  what  will  principally  concern  the  Christian  Church 
from  that  moment,  in  which  the  angel  is  supposed  to  appear, 
to  the  end  of  time. 

V.  2.  "  And  he  (the  angel)  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea, 
and  his  left  foot  upon  the  earth. 

V.  3.  "  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion 
roareth."  The  angel  stands  with  one  foot  upon  the  land  and 
the  other  upon  the  sea,  to  show  that  what  he  is  going  to  an- 
nounce, relates  to  the  whole  earth.  And  he  cries  with  a 
loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth,  to  make  himself  heard 
over  the  whole  globe. 

V.  3.  "  And  when  he  (the  angel)  had  cried,  seven  thun- 
ders had  uttered  their  voices. 

V.  4.  "  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their 
voices,  I  was  about  to  write  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven 
saying  to  me  :  Seal  up  the  things,  which  the  seven  thunders 
have  spoken,  and  write  them  not."  Here  St.  John  is  permitted 
to  write,  but  ordered  to  seal  up  the  things  which  the  seven 
thunders  had  spoken  ;  which  circumstance  seems  to  insinuate, 
that  the  things  spoken  by  the  seven  thunders  were  seven  par- 
ticulars of  Antichrist's  persecution  ;  as  the  word  thunder  is 
generally  used  in  the  Apocalypse  to  denote  some  disaster ; 
and  these  seven  particulars  being  most  dreadful  and  severe, 
the  Almighty  chose  to  have  them  sealed  up  or  kept  concealed, 


224  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

lest  the  foreknowledge  of  them  should  too  much  terrify  and 
damp  the  human  mind. 

V.  5.  "  And  the  angel,  whom  I  saw  standing  upon  the 
sea,  and  upon  the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven, 

V,  6.  "  And  he  swore  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever, 
who  created  heaven,  and  the  things  which  are  therein  :  and 
the  earth,  and  the  things  which  are  in  it :  and  the  sea,  and  the 
things  which  are  therein :  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer: 

V.  7.  "  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel, 
when  he  shall  begin  to  sound  the  trumpet,  the  mystery  of 
God  should  be  finished,  as  he  has  declared  by  his  servants 
the  prophets." 

Here  the  angel  announces  in  the  most  solemn  manner  the 
end  of  the  Avorld,  swearing  by  the  eternal  God,  Creator  of 
heaven  and  earth,  that  time  shall  soon  be  no  more :  and  that 
at  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  the  mystery  of  God 
shall  be  finished  or  consummated,  that  is,  that  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  divine  dispensations,  which  the  Almighty  had  in  view 
in  creating  the  world,  shall  then  be  totally  fulfilled,  and  all 
that  he  had  revealed  to  or  declared  by  his  prophets,  relative  to 
his  providential  economy  towards  mankind,  shall  then  be  en- 
tirely accomplished  :  upon  which  a  period  will  be  put  to  the 
world.  The  earth  then  will  be  burned,  as  signified  by  the 
angel  standing  upon  it  with  feet  which  were  as  pillars  of  fire. 

We  may  here  observe  that  St.  John  says,  in  the  days,  and 
not  in  the  day,  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel  sounding  the 
trumpet ;  which  expression  seems  to  indicate  two  soundings 
of  the  trumpet,  with  some  interval  between  them :  the  first 
sounding  being  destined  to  put  an  end  to  time,  and  to  the 
breath  of  all  then  living ;  and  the  second,  to  call  up  the  dead 
to  judgment. 

V.  8.  "  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  again  speaking  to 
me,  and  saying:  Go,  and  take  the  book  that  is  open,  from  the 
hand  of  the  angel,  who  standeth  upon  the  sea  and  the  earth." 

St.  John  is  here  ordered,  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  to  go  and 
take  the  book ;  the  little  book  according  to  the  Greek  text ; 
the  same  book  as  mentioned  above,  ver.  2,  in  the  angel's  hand. 
The  little  book  is  the  gospel,  as  we  have  said  ;  and  St.  John 
himself  here  represents  the  ministers  of  the  Church,  Avho  wdll 
be  stirred  up  and  stimulated  by  the  voice  of  Henoch  and 
Elias,  and  of  the  Church  itself,  to  take  the  little  book,  or  the 
gospel,  in  hand,  and  to  undertake  the  preaching  of  it,  which 
will  be  so  particularly  wanted  in  this  depraved  and  dangerous 
time. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHtJRCtt.  225 

V.  9.  "  And  I  went  to  the  angel,  saying  unto  him  that  he 
should  give  me  the  book.  And  he  said  to  me,  take  the  book, 
and  eat  it  up :  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  in  thy 
mouth,  it  shall  be  sweet  as  honey."  St.  John  goes  and  asks 
of  the  angel  the  little  book :  that  is,  a  numerous  clergy  of  all 
degrees  animated  by  the  above  voice,  and  inspired  with  a  new 
zeal  and  an  apostolic  spirit,  ask  a  commission  from  the 
Church,  to  go  and  preach  the  gospel  to  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  This  commission  is  given  them,  as  the  book  was 
given  to  St.  John  :  and  they  are  enjoined  "  to  go  into  the 
whole  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  Mark 
xvi.  15.  And  as  St.  John  is  told  to  eat  up  the  book,  these 
new  preachers  are  exhorted  to  proceed  to  announce  the  word 
of  God  with  the  same  ardour  and  eagerness  with  which 
the  hungry  man  flies  to  his  food.  St.  John  is  further  told  by 
the  angel,  that  the  book  will  be  sweet  as  honey  in  his  mouth, 
but  will  make  his  belly  bitter ;  both  which  the  apostle  expe- 
rienced, V.  10.  "  And  I  took  the  book,"  says  he,  "  from  the 
hand  of  the  angel,  and  eat  it  up  :  and  it  was  in  my  mouth 
sweet  as  honey,  and  when  I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter." 
The  new  troop  of  apostolic  men,  in  setting  out  on  their  mis- 
sion, feel  an  inexpressible  satisfaction  in  undertaking  a  work, 
so  much  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  to  which  are  promised  such 
high  rewards.  In  this  sense  is  the  gospel  as  honey  in  their 
mouths.  But  afterwards,  when  swallowed,  it  makes  their 
belly  bitter,  or  causes  them  pains  in  the  bowels  ;  a  figurative 
expression  of  the  persecutions  and  severities  the  preachers 
were  to  suffer  in  consequence  of  their  ministry.  Thus  then  it 
appears,  their  fate  will  be  alike  to  that  which  our  Saviour 
destined  for  his  apostles  and  foretold  them  :  "  They  shall  de- 
liver you  up  to  be  afflicted,  and  shall  put  you  to  death  :"  This 
will  be  done  in  the  great  persecution  of  Antichrist,  the  cloud 
which  clothed  the  angel. 

V.  1 1.  "  And  he,"  the  angel,  "said  to  me,  (St.  John,)  thou 
must  prophesy  again  to  many  nations,  and  peoples,  and 
tongues,  and  kings."*  Here  then  the  above-mentioned  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel,  represented  by  the  person  of  St.  John,  after 
having  received  their  commission,  are  told  to  enter  upon  their 
work  of  preaching :  "  Thou  must  prophesy  again  to  many 
nations,"  &c.  Let  us  however  observe,  that  the  expression  of 
prophecying  implies  preaching  accompanied  with  the  gift  of 
prophecy,  and  of  interpreting  prophecies.     We  must  observe 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  Then  must  prophesy  before  nations,  and  peoples,  and 
many  tongues,  and  many  kings." 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

also,  that  St.  John  is  told,  he  must  prophesy  again  ;  the  mean- 
ing of  which  is,  that  as  St.  John  himself,  with  the  other  apos- 
tles and  preachers,  had  carried  the  gospel  through  the  world 
in  the  first  age  of  Christianity,  in  the  same  manner  the  minis- 
ters of  Christ  must  announce  it  again  in  the  last  age.  In  this 
general  preaching,  St.  John's  gospel  and  his  other  writings 
will  be  chiefly  made  use  of 

In  this  manner  will  the  Almighty  display  the  riches  of  his 
mercy  for  the  conversion  of  mankind,  by  sending  them  zealous 
preachers  endued  w'ith  miraculous  powers,  and  by  such  an 
abundant  effusion  of  his  graces,  as  will  be  proportioned  to 
conquer  the  influence  of  the  then  prevailing  wickedness ; 
though  the  greater  part  of  men  will  remain  hardened  in  their 
iniquity.  And  now  the  holy  w^ork  will  be  in  some  measure 
advanced,  and  a  select  number  of  people  will  be  prepared  for 
the  afflictions  and  calamities  that  the  Almighty  is  upon  the 
point  of  permitting,  in  his  anger,  to  break  out  and  burst  upon 
mankind.  "  Behold  there  come  yet  two  woes  more  hereaf- 
ter." Apoc.  ix.  12.  Of  these  two  remaining  woes,  the  first 
follows  on  the  sounding  of  the  sixth  trumpet :  and  the  second 
or  last  belongs  to  the  seventh  trumpet,  the  sounding  of  which 
will  put  an  end  to  the  world.  We  shall  now  see  of  what 
kind  is  the  wo,  announced  by  the  sixth  trumpet. 

The  sounding  of  the  Sixth  Trumpet. 

Apoc.  chap.  ix.  13,  "  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded  the 
trumpet :  and  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "  a  voice  from  the 
four  horns  of  the  golden  altar,  which  is  before  the  eyes  of 
God. 

V.  14.  "  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel,  who  had  the  trumpet ; 
loose  the  four  angels,  who  are  bound  in  the  great  river  Eu- 
phrates. 

V.  1 5.  "  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  who  were  pre- 
pared for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year  ;  for  to 
kill  the  third  part  of  men. 

V.  16.  "  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  horsemen  was 
twenty  thousand  times  ten  thousand. — And  I  heard  the  num- 
ber of  them. 

V.  17.  "  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision:  and 
they  that  sat  on  them,  had  breast  plates  of  fire,  and  of  hya- 
cinth, and  of  brimstone,  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as 
the  heads  of  lions  :  and  from  their  mouths  proceeded  fire,  and 
smoke,  and  brimstone. 

V.  18.  "  And  by  these  three  plagues  was  slain  the  third 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  227 

part  of  men,  by  the  fire  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brim- 
stone, which  issued  out  of  their  mouths. 

V.  19.  "  For  the  power  of  the  -horses  is  in  their  mouths 
and  in  their  tails.  For  their  tails  are  like  to  serpents,  and 
have  heads  :  and  with  them  they  hurt. 

V.  20.  "  And  the  rest  of  the  men,  who  were  not  slain  by 
these  plagues,  did  not  do  penance  for  the  works  of  their  hands, 
that  they  should  not  adore  devils  and  idols  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  brass  and  stone,  and  wood,  which  neither  can  see,  nor 
hear,  nor  walk. 

V.  21.  "  Neither  did  they  penance  from  their  murders,  nor 
from  their  sorceries,  nor  from  their  fornication,  nor  from  their 
thefts."     , 

As  the  object  of  the  sixth  vial  is  closely  connected  with  that 
of  the  sixth  trumpet,  we  shall  here  immediately  subjoin  the 
pouring  of  that  vial. 

The  'pouring  out  of  the  sixth  vial  of  the  lorath  of  God. 

Apoc.  chap.  vi.  12.  "  And  the  sixth  angel,"  says  St.  John, 
"  poured  out  his  vial  upon  that  great  river  Euphrates  :  and 
dried  up  the  water  thereof,  that  a  way  might  be  prepared  for 
the  kings  from  the  rising  of  the  sun." 

To  return  to  the  first  text.  The  sixth  trumpet  sounds,  and 
St.  John  hears  a  voice,  according  to  the  Greek  text  "  one  voice, 
from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar"  of  incense,  that  is, 
one  voice  composed  of  four  voices  issuing  from  the  four  horns, 
that  adorned  the  corners  of  the  altar,  in  resemblance  to  the 
altar  of  incense  in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  The  four  horns 
or  corners  of  the  altai  denote  the  four,  that  is,  all  the  quarters 
of  the  globe  ;  and  the  four  voices  that  come  from  thence  re- 
present the  voices  of  the  guardian  angels*  of  all  the  kingdoms 
of  the  earth.  These  angels  finding  themselves  frustrated  in 
their  continued  labour  to  reform  the  people  committed  to  their 
patronage,  at  last  leave  them  as  incorrigible,  in  the  same 
manner  as  was  done  by  the  tutelar  angels  of  Babylon  and  the 
provinces  of  its  empire:  "we  would  have  cured  Babylon," 
said  they,  "  but  she  is  not  healed  :  let  us  forsake  her."  Jerem. 
li.  9.  The  angels  therefore  in  the  present  case  flying  from 
their  respective  countries,  and  confessing  the  justice  of  the 

*  It  is  sufficiently  intimated  in  Scripture,  that  empires  and  nations  have 
their  tutelar  angeh?.  St.  Michael  is  said  to  be  the  prince  of  the  Jewish 
people.  Dan.  x.  21.  The  Christian  Church  has  likewise  chosen  the  same 
archangel  for  her  patron.  Daniel  mentions  the  prince  of  Peisia,  which  is 
understood  to  be  its  guardian  angel.  Most  of  the  ancient  fathers  have  in 
the  same  manner  asciibed  the  care  of  kingdoms  to  angels. 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

punishments  now  to  be  executed,  join  in  one  voice  to  tell  the 
angel  who  had  sounded  the  trumpet,  to  loose  the  four  angels 
who  were  bound  in  the  great  river  Euphrates.  These  four 
angels,  who  are  tied  fast  on  the  river  Euphrates,  are  four  evil 
spirits,  representing  four  barbarous  great  kingdoms  or  poAvers, 
which  they  stir  up  to  w^ar.  And  these  powers  chiefly  lie  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Euphrates  with  respect  to  Europe,  or 
with  respect  to  St.  John,  who  was  at  the  time  of  this  revela- 
tion in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  in  the  Archipelago.  They  are  said 
to  be  bound  in  the  river  Euphrates,  because  the  Almighty  had 
hitherto  restrained  them,  and  withheld  them  from  rising  up 
and  crossing  the  Euphrates,  to  bring  mischief  to  mankind,  till 
the  time  he  had  fixed  for  executing  his  judgments  was  come. 
Then  he  lets  them  loose. 

"And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  who  were  prepared  for  an 
hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  for  to  kill  the  third 
part  of  men,"  v.  15.  Here  we  see  the  cruel  and  bloody  dispo- 
sition of  these  four  nations,  as  being  ready  to  kill  the  third  part 
of  men.  They  are  said  to  be  ready  at  an  hour,  a  day,  a  month, 
and  a  year,  to  destroy  mankind;  because,  of  these  four  nations, 
one  will  inhabit  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  and  consequently 
will  be  ready,  as  may  be  said,  at  an  hour's  warning,  to  cross 
that  river.  A  second  nation,  lying  at  some  distance,  will  require 
a  day,  that  is,  a  longer  time  to  prepare  and  march  to  the  Eu- 
phrates. A  third  more  distant  nation,  and  a  fourth  the  most 
distant  of  all,  w^ill  respectively  require  still  a  longer  space  of 
time,  expressed  by  a  month,  and  a  year,  to  reach  the  Eu- 
phrates, cross  it,  and  meet  in  the  field,  in  order  to  enter  upon 
the  execution  of  their  murderous  designs. 

This  explication  is  confirmed  by  what  is  exhibited  under  the 
sixth  vial.  "  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
that  great  river  Euphrates ;  and  dried  up  the  water  thereof, 
tliat  a  way  might  be  prepared  for  the  kings  from  the  rising  of 
the  sun."  As  at  the  sounding  of  the  sixth  trumpet,  the  four  an- 
gels or  powers,  who  had  been  tied  upon  the  river  Euphrates, 
are  loosed  ;  so  the  sixth  vial  is  poured  out  upon  the  Euphrates: 
and  that  river  is  immediately  dried  up,  or  the  passage  is  made 
easy  to  the  kings  who  come  from  the  east.  Both  the  trumpet 
and  the  vial  conspire  to  announce  four  great  powers  or  kings, 
coming  from  the  eastern  countries  of  A.sia,  Avith  their  hands 
ready  for  destruction.  And  these  are  the  agents  employed  by 
the  avenging  hand  of  God  to  punish  mankind  for  their  wick- 
edness, w4ilch  will  have  grown  to  be  excessive  at  this  time. 
It  may  here  be  asked,  which  are  the  powers  here  spoken  of? 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  229 

If  we  may  be  allowed  to  conjecture  from  the  present  situation 
of  empires  in  Asia,  which  however  may  alter,  the  four  great 
powers  in  question  may  be,  the  Turks,  whose  dominions  ex- 
tend over  the  Euphrates  and  beyond  the  Tigris,  the  Persians, 
the  Moguls,  and  the  Chinese  with  the  Chinese  Tartars. 

The  time  of  loosing  the  four  angels  that  were  tied  upon  the 
Euphrates,  seems  to  indicate  the  moment  in  which  Satan 
himself  is  loosed  from  the  abyss  or  hell,  where  we  saw,  p.  68, 
he  was  chained  up  for  a  thousand  years.  "  And  when  the 
thousand  years  shall  be  finished,"  says  St.  John,  "  Satan  shall 
be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  and  he  shall  go  forth,  and  seduce 
the  nations,  which  are  over  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth." 
Apoc.  XX.  7.  The  prince  of  hell  is  therefore,  by  the  permis- 
sion of  God,  at  this  time  let  loose  with  his  hellish  crew,  and 
is  allowed  to  employ  his  art  and  power  in  seducing  mankind 
to  idolatry,  impiety,  war,  and  mischief  And  here  we  date  the 
revival  of  idolatry.  But  we  have  this  comfort,  that  his  time 
will  be  short :  "  He  must  be  loosed  a  little  time."  Apoc.  xx.  3. 
Whoever  considers  the  circumstance  of  Satan  being  loosed, 
needs  not  wonder  if  strange  and  extraordinary  events  fol- 
low. The  first  age  of  Christianity  exhibited  to  us  a  dismal 
scene  of  his  power  and  action.  On  one  hand  he  deceived 
mankind  by  his  oracles  and  other  delusive  arts  ;  while  a  num- 
ber of  individuals  groaned  under  the  weight  of  his  malevo- 
lence, from  their  being  possessed  by  devils,  as  we  read  in  the 
gospels  and  other  books  of  the  New  Testament.  On  another 
hand  we  saw  with  uhat  efforts  he  opposed  the  birth  and 
growth  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  with  what  fury  and  malice 
he  instigated  the  whole  Roman  empire  against  it ;  what  per- 
secutions he  suscitated  ;  what  torments  and  horrible  cruelties 
he  suggested  to  be  employed  against  the  Christians,  and  what 
an  ocean  of  their  blood  he  procured  to  be  spilled.  If  such,  then, 
was  the  power  of  Satan  at  that  time,  and  if  so  much  he  could 
do  by  means  of  his  infernal  agents,  and  by  his  instruments, 
the  emperors,  Nero,  Domitian,  Dioclesian,  &c.  why  shall  vre 
be  surprised  to  see  his  last  efforts  still  stronger  in  the  time  of 
Antichrist,  "  whose  commg,"  as  St.  Paul  says,  "  is  according 
to  the  working  of  Satan  ?"  2  Thess.  ii.  9.  The  Antichristian 
period  is  described  by  the  ancient  fathers  as  the  most  dreadful 
of  all,  and  the  Apocalypse  plainly  shows  it  to  be  so,  as  we 
shall  see. 

Fjour  of  Satan's  associates  are  the  four  bad  angels  w^e  saw 
bound  fast  upon  the  river  Euphrates,  but  now  are  united  and 
permitted  to  go  and  raise  up  the  four  above-mentioned  barba- 
20 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCIL 

reus  nations,  which  they  will  instigate  to  carry  destruction 
and  devastation  through  the  world. 

These  nations  therefore  arrive  at  different  times  at  the  Eu- 
phrates, which  they  cross  without  obstruction,  and  assemble  in 
the  plains  on  this  side  that  river.  The  Antichristian  prince, 
who  had  summoned  them  to  his  standard,  as  betore  related, 
assumes  the  command,  and  glories  in  being  master  of  such  a 
prodigious  army.  "  And  the  number  of  the  aruy  of  horse- 
men," says  St.  John,  "  was  twenty  thousand  times  ten  thou- 
sand. And  I  heard  the  number  of  them,"  v.  16.  See  text  of 
the  sixth  Trumpet. 

This  army  is  here  described  as  wholly  consisting  of  caval- 
ry :  I  suppose  for  despatch ;  and  the  eastern  people  have 
always  used  much  cavalry.  But  the  number  is  excessive, 
such  as  has  never  been  heard  of  in  any  instance  before.  We 
read  in  history  of  Xerxes,  the  Persian  king,,  invading  Greece 
with  an  army  of  one  million  of  men.  But  an  army  of  two 
hundred  millions,  or  twenty  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  is 
altogether  impossible  ;  as  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  be  that 
number  of  men,  capable  of  bearing  arms,  upon  the  whole 
globe  of  the  earth ;  whereas  this  body  of  men  is  chiefly  col- 
lected from  the  Asiatic  countries  that  lie  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Euphrates ;  and  yet  St.  John  assures  us  he  heard  their 
number  named.  "  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them."  Such 
an  immense  multitude  cannot  therefore  be  accounted  for,  but 
by  supposing  a  great  part  of  it  to  consist  of  the  infernal  beings. 
And  that  it  is  so,  vve  have  reason  to  conclude:  first,  from  Sa- 
tan's having  been  let  loose,  as  we  have  just  now  seen,  and  pro- 
bably with  him  a  numerous  crew  of  his  associates  :  secondly, 
from  the  fourth  seal,  which  relates,  as  we  observed,  to  the 
Antichristian  prince,  and  thus  describes  him  :  "  Behold  a  pale 
horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  his  name  w^as  Death,  and  hell 
followed  him."  Apoc.  vi.  8.  Here  it  is  expressly  said,  that 
hell  follows  him.  Thirdly,  the  same  we  shall  see,  by  and  by, 
confirmed  by  the  prophet  Joel. 

Such  is  the  immense  horrid  army  of  the  Antichristian  mo- 
narch, composed  of  men  and  devils  in  human  shape.  With  this 
he  moves  westwards,  and  is  met  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Je- 
rusalem by  those  powers,  which  we  mentioned  had  rebelled 
against  him,  and  which  have  advanced  in  a  body  to  dispute  their 
liberty  with  him.  Dispositions  being  made,  both  armies  come 
to  an  engagement.  The  appearance  of  the  monarch's  troops 
on  this  occasion,  and  the  arms  they  fight  with,  are  described  in 
a  very  peculiar  manner  by  St.  John  in  the  above-given  text  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  231 

the  sixth  trumpet,  ver.  17.  "  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in 
the  vision  ;  and  they  that  sat  on  them  had  breast-plates  of 
fire  and  of  hyacinth  and  of  brimstone;  and  the  heads  of  the 
horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions ;  and  from  their  mouths 
proceeded  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone."  The  horsemen 
appeared  to  St.  John  with  breast-plates  of  fire  and  of  hyacinth 
and  of  brimstone.  By  this  expression  is  indicated  the  firing 
of  carabines  or  such  fire-arms  as  cavalry  use;  which  are  ap- 
plied to  the  breast  when  shot  oK  He  saw  the  firing  of  these 
guns,  in  the  manner  that  it  is  done  now  a-days,  but  not  being 
acquainted  with  such  operations,  as  gunpowder  was  unknown 
in  his  time,  he  took  the  fire,  that  issued  out  of  the  muskets,  to 
come  from  the  horsemen's  breasts,  on  which  the  muskets 
rested,  and  so  thought  the  horsemen  had  breast-plates  of  fire. 
The  prophet,  here,  even  describes  to  us  the  composition  of 
gunpowder,  with  its  three  several  ingredients,  viz.  brimstone 
or  sulphur,  fire,  or  charcoal,  the  properesi  matter  of  fire;  and 
hyacinth  or  saltpetre.  Hyacinth,  a  precious  stone  of  a  purple 
colour,  is  here  made  use  of  to  represent  saltpetre,  because 
saltpetre,  when  set  on  fire,  emits  a  flame  of  a  fine  purple  co- 
lour, similar  to  the  colour  of  the  hyacinth  stone.  Here  then 
we  see  revealed  to  St.  John  both  the  composition  and  use  of 
gunpowder,  to  which  he  and  all  mankind  at  that  time  were 
strangers. 

Then  it  is  said  :  "  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the 
heads  of  lions,  and  from  their  mouths  proceeded  fire,  and 
smoke,  and  brimstone."  Before,  we  saw  the  description  of 
the  muskets  and  their  fire ;  here  is  pointed  out  the  artillery 
of  the  army,  or  cannon.  But,  as  St.  John  had  not  naturally 
any  notion  of  such  things,  which  did  not  exist  in  his  time ;  and 
as  he  saw,  in  this  vision,  the  whole  army  drawn  up  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  the  artillery  placed  upon  a  line  with  the  cavalry, 
he  seemed  to  confound  the  cannon  with  the  horses,  and  the 
cannon's  mouths  with  the  mouths  of  the  horses,  as  the  height 
of  both  from  the  ground  is  nearly  the  same.*  When  there- 
fore he  says,  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of 
lions,  it  is  the  same  as  if  he  said,  the  mouths  of  the  cannon 
were,  as  to  the  noise  they  made,  like  the  mouths  of  roaring 
lions  ;  and  from  their  mouths  proceeded  fire,  and  smoke,  and 
brimstone,  that  is,  the  fire  of  gunpowder.  Hence  it  appears, 
that  St.  John,  in  his  vision,  both  saw  the  fire  of  the  cannon, 
and  heard  the  explosion.  One  may  further  remark,  that  he 
points  out  here  a  nice  difference  between  musket  gunpowder 

*  He  describes  the  appearances,  as  he  saw  in  the  vision,  not  the  reaUty. 


232  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

and  that  used  in  cannon.  The  first  he  describes  as  composed 
of  fire,  hyacinth  or  saltpetre,  and  brimstone  ;  the  second,  as 
composed  of  fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone ;  that  is,  the  musket 
gunpowder,  which  is  finer,  has  in  its  composition  a  larger 
proportion  (  f  saltpetre  :  and  the  cannon  gunpowder,  which  is 
coarser,  cor  iains  a  larger  share  of  charcoal  which  produces 
the  smoke.  And  such,  it  is  known,  is  really  the  composition 
used  at  this  day. 

This  explanation  is  further  confirmed  by  what  follows  in 
the  text :  "  For  the  power  of  the  horses  is  in  their  mouths  and 
in  their  tails.  For  their  tails  are  like  to  serpents,  and  have 
heads;  and  with  them  they  hurt,"  v.  19.  The  power  of  the 
imagined  horses,  or  real  cannon,  lying  in  their  mouths  and 
in  their  tails,  signifies,  that  the  mischievous  power  of  the  can- 
non is  directed  to  the  object  by  their  mouths,  but  takes  its 
birth  in  the  tail  or  breech  of  the  cannon,  where  the  charge  is 
lodged  ;  whence  the  cannon's  breech  is  here  compared  to  the 
serpent's  head,  which  contains  his  venom. 

"  And  by  these  three  plagues  was  slain  the  third  part  of 
men,  by  the  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone, 
which  issued  out  of  their  mouths,"  v.  18.  This  destructive 
instrument,  gunpowder,  the  invention  of  latter  ages,  will  there- 
fore be  employed  by  the  Antichristian  army,  all  along  in  its 
progress,  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men,  probably  the  wicked. 
And  this  is  conformable  to  what  Ave  read  under  the  fourth 
seal :  "  Power  was  given  to  him,  to  kill  with  sword,  with 
famine,  and  with  death,  (or  gunpowder,)  and  with  the  beasts 
of  the  earth,"  (or  cavalry.)  Apoc.  vi.  8.  See  the  explication 
of  that  seal. 

As  we  left  the  two  armies  engaged,  a  question  may  be  asked 
about  the  issue  of  the  battle.  What  it  will  be  with  respect  to 
the  great  hero,  the  Antichristian  emperor,  we  learn  from  St. 
John,  who,  however,  so  closely  connects  this  event  with  that 
prince's  alliance  to  the  Roman  empire,  that  we  must  beg  leave 
to  follow  our  inspired  writer  in  joining  the  accounts  of  both 
together. 

Chap.  xiii.  v.  1.  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  a  beast 
coming  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns, 
and  upon  his  horns  ten  diadems,  and  upon  his  heads  names  of 
blasphemy. 

V.  2.  "  And  the  beast,  which  I  saw,  was  like  to  a  leopard, 
and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the 
mouth  of  a  lion.  And  the  dragon  gave  him  his  own  strength 
and  great  power. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  233 

V.  3.  "  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  slain  to 
death." 

The  beast  which  St.  John  sees  here  rising  up  from  tlie  sea, 
or  from  the  tumultuous  scenes  of  war  and  the  fluctuations  of 
the  world,  represents  the  ancient  pagan  empire  of  Rome.  For 
the  beast  he  says  has  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  ;  we  have 
before  shown,  seven  heads  are  seven  heathen  Roman  empe- 
rors, persecutors  .of  Christianity,  the  last  of  whom  will  be 
Antichrist ;  and  the  horns  are  the  northern  powers  that  de- 
stroyed and  divided  among  themselves  the  western  part  of 
that  empire.  "  Upon  his  horns  were  ten  diadems  or  crowns  ;" 
whereas  in  chap.  12.  v.  3,  on  his  heads  were  seven  diadems. 
This  passing  of  the  diadems  from  the  heads  to  the  horns, 
shows  that  old  Rome  had  lost  her  sovereignty  which  had 
been  wrested  from  her  emperors  by  those  northern  people 
who  had  crowned  themselves  with  it.  And  the  beast  had 
upon  his  heads  names  of  blasphemy ;  blasphemies,  which 
the  heathen  emperors  spoke  against  Christ ;  blasphemies,  or 
pagan  gods  which  they  set  up  in  opposition  to  him ;  blas- 
phemies, or  divine  honours,  which  those  emperors  required  to 
be  paid  to  themselves. 

Let  us  take  notice  that  St.  John  here  gives  us  in  abridg- 
ment the  successive  periods  of  the  Roman  empire.  It  is  de- 
scribed, as  first  ruling  under  a  succession  of  idolatrous  heads 
or  emperors,  and  then  pulled  down  and  divided  among  a  num- 
ber of  invaders  denoted  by  the  horns.  From  them  it  passes 
to  become  the  Antichristian  empire,  as  appears  by  what  fol- 
lows :  "  And  the  beast  which  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  was 
like  to  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and 
his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion."  But  here  we  must  pre- 
viously observe,  that  this  extraordinary  beast  is  in  its  exterior 
form  made  up  of  the  three  animals,  the  leopard,  the  bear,  and 
the  lion  ;  because  the  empire  of  Rome  had  reduced  under  its 
dominion  the  countries  belonging  to  the  three  successive 
empires  of  Babylon,  of  Persia,  and  of  Greece,  which  are  ex- 
hibited by  the  prophet  Daniel  under  the  types  of  those  three 
animals.  "  I  saw,"  says  Daniel,  "  in  my  vision — And  four 
great  beasts,  different  one  from  another,  came  up  out  of  the  sea. 
The  first  was  like  a  lioness — And  behold  another  beast  like  a 
bear — After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo  another  like  a  leopard." 
Dan.  vii.  3,  «fec.  Which  three  beasts  here  specified  have 
always  been  understood  to  denote  the  three  above-named  em- 
pires. These  empires  preceded  that  of  Rome,  and  then  passed 
into  its  dominion ;  for  which  reason  it  is  here  represented  as 
20* 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

composed  of  them.  Great  empires  are  indicated  by  the  pro- 
phets under  the  figure  of  beasts,  on  account  of  the  devastation 
and  havoc  they  make,  like  wild  beasts,  in  the  world,  to  raise 
up  their  dominion. 

This  observation  premised,  St.  John  says :  "  and  the  beast 
which  I  saw,  was  like  to  a  leopard ;"  the  body  of  the  beast 
was  like  unto  a  leopard,  that  is,  the  centre  and  capital  part  of 
the  Roman  empire  under  Antichrist  will  be  the  Grecian  em- 
pire denoted  by  the  leopard.  After  the  division  of  the  ancient 
Roman  state,  the  eastern  part  chiefly  consisted  of  the  territory 
of  the  ancient  empire  of  Macedon  or  Greece.  The  Turkish 
emperor,  Antichrist,  will  one  day  be  in  possession  of  it ;  and 
from  it  will  arise  the  Antichristian  kingdom.  Rome  was 
destroyed  with  the  western  empire :  Constantinople  then  be- 
came the  capital  of  the  remaining  part  of  the  Roman  empire  ; 
it  will  be  also  Antichrist's  capital  city :  and  it  is  now  the 
centre  and  seat  of  the  Turkish,  or  formerly  Grecian  monar- 
chy ;  and  from  this  centre,  conquest  will  be  carried  into  those 
countries  that  formed  the  western  part  of  the  ancient  Roman 
empire,  and  over  the  wiiole  world.  Thus,  then,  the  Antichrist- 
ian empire  is  founded  on  the  empire  of  ancient  Greece,  at 
present  the  Constantinopolitan  empire.  Hence,  it  appears 
why  the  body  of  the  beast  is  like  to  a  leopard. 

St.  John's  description  of  the  beast  may  receive  a  further 
elucidation  from  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  concerning  the  Ro- 
man empire,  which  was  also  represented  to  him  under  the 
figure  of  a  beast,  the  fourth  of  those  which  he  saw  in  a  vision. 
"  After  this  I  beheld,"  says  he,  "  in  the  vision  of  the  night, 
and  lo  a  fourth  beast,  terrible  and  wonderful,  and  exceeding 
strong  ;  it  had  great  iron  teeth,  eating  and  breaking  in  pieces, 
and  treading  down  the  rest  with  its  feet,"  vii.  7.  Which  an 
angel  explained  to  the  prophet  thus  :  "  The  fourth  beast  will 
be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which  shall  be  greater  than 
all  the  kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall 
tread  it  down  and  break  it  in  pieces."  Ibid.  v.  23.  It  is 
plain,  that  what  Daniel  here  says  of  the  Roman  empire,  has 
never  yet  been  completely  fulfilled.  For,  though  the  power 
of  ancient  Rome  extended  into  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  yet 
there  remained  vast  countries  unsubdued  in  each  of  those 
parts,  besides  America,  which  was  not  then  known:  conse- 
quently, the  Roman  power  did  not  reach  over  the  whole  earth, 
as  Daniel  here  specifies  it  should.  Then,  though  Rome 
sometimes  treated  the  conquered  people  with  severity  and 
haughtiness,  yet  it  cannot  be  said  that  she  devoured  the  whole 


.  ■} 
HISTORY  OF  TH£  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  235 

earth,  and  trod  it  down,  and  broke  it  in  pieces.  Daniel's  pro- 
phecy having  therefore  been  but  partially  accomplished  in  the. 
ancient  empire  of  Rome,  it  remains  to  be  completed  in  that 
Roman  empire,  of  which  Antichrist  will  be  the  head,  and  which 
will  extend  over  the  whole  earth. — And  now  it  will  appear 
that  the  texts  of  the  two  prophets  help  to  explain  one  another. 
The  beast,  says  St.  John,  had  a  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion, 
a  proper  animal  to  devour,  as  Daniel  terms  it.  The  beast, 
again,  according-  to  St.  John,  had  feet  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  an 
animal  that  treads  down  its  prey  with  its  feet,  as  Daniel  speaks 
of  it.  Lastly,  the  beast,  according  to  St.  John,  was  like  to  a 
leopard,  which  with  its  teeth  of  a  lion  and  claws  of  a  bear,  may 
break  in  pieces,  as  Daniel  says  of  it,  or  tear  in  pieces  whatever 
it  seizes.  Such  will  be  the  violence  and  tyranny  of  Anti- 
christ's dominion  when  he  becomes  universal  monarch. 

But  we  must  here  further  observe,  that  not  only  the  ulti- 
mate accomplishment  of  what  belongs  to  the  Roman  empire 
will  have  its  place  at  the  time  of  Antichrist,  but  the  same  must 
be  applied  to  the  ancient  empire  of  Greece,  now  represented 
by  the  Constantinopolitan  or  Ottoman  empire,  which  w^e  have 
shown  to  be  the  foundation  and  centre  of  the  Antichristian 
kingdom-  For,  Daniel  speaking  of  the  empire  of  Greece, 
says  :  "  It  shall  rule  over  all  the  w^orld,"  ii.  39  ;  to  w^hich  also 
alludes  what  he  applies  to  it  in  another  place :  "  Power  was 
given  to  it,"  vii.  6.  But  it  is  well  known,  that  Alexander  the 
Great,  who  reared  up  the  Grecian  empire,  never  ruled  over 
tlie  whole  world.  The  extent  of  his  dominion  fell  far  short 
of  it.  This  prophecy  remains  therefore  to  be  finally  com- 
pleted in  Antichrist,  who  will  be  the  last  head  of  both  Roman 
and  Grecian  empires. 

To  return  to  our  text :  St.  John  said,  "  And  the  dragon  gave 
him  (the  beast)  his  own  strength,  (here  the  Greek  adds,  and 
his  throne,)  and  great  powers,"  v.  2.  The  dragon,  or  Satan, 
prince  of  the  infernal  kingdom,  gives  his  own  strength  to  the 
beast  or  the  Antichristian  empire;  that  is,  to  its  emperor,  the 
Antichristian  prince,  and  his  agents  ;  the  dragon  or  Satan 
gives  him,  I  say,  his  own  strength,  or  his  armies  of  hellish 
fiends  to  fight  and  act  for  him  ;  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
northern  powers  (Apoc.  xvii.13.)  gave  their  strength  to  the 
beast,  that  is,  their  armies  to  the  Romans  for  their  assistance. 

And  this  is  conformable  to  what  was  said  under  the  fourth 
seal  :  "  And  hell  followed  him."  Apoc.  vi.  8.  The  dragon 
furthermore  gives  to  the  Antichristian  emperor  his  throne,  by 
constituting  him  his  visible  substitute,  representative,  and  dele- 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

gate  to  rule  and  command  as  he  pleases.  In  fine,  the  dragon 
gives  him  great  power,  or  a  surprising  faculty  of  working 
counterfeit  miracles  and  imposing  upon  mankind  by  art  and 
deceit ;  his  coming  (Antichrist's)  being,  as  St.  Paul  tells  us, 
according  to  the  working  of  Satan,  in  all  power,  and  signs, 
and  lying  wonders.     2  Thess.  ii.  9. — St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  3.  "  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  if  it  were  slain  to 
death ;  and  his  death's  wound  was  healed.  And  all  the  earth 
was  in  admiration  after  the  beast." 

This  head  of  the  beast  is  the  Antichristian  monarch,  as 
fully  appears  by  the  description  that  follows  in  this  chapter : 
and  here  St.  John  sees  him  as  it  were  slain  to  death,  that  is, 
wounded  mortally,  or  at  least  so  in  appearance.  Such,  then, 
is  the  issue  of  the  above-mentioned  battle.  This  accident  un- 
doubtedly spreads  consternation  throughout  his  army,  and 
raises  exultation  and  courage  in  his  enemies.  But  these  dis- 
positions are  soon  reversed  in  consequence  of  what  is  added, 
"  and  his  death's  wound  was  healed,"  his  deadly  wound  is 
cured  by  Satan,  who  constantly  attends  him.*  "  And  all  the 
earth  was  in  admiration  after  the  beast :"  the  whole  w^orld  is 
astonished  at  seeing  or  hearing  the  account  of  this  extraor- 
dinary cure,  Avhich  exceeded  all  human  po\yer  and  art ;  and 
thereupon  a  great  part  of  mankind  embrace  the  party  of  the 
beast  or  of  the  Antichristian  king.  The  denomination  of 
beast  was  before  appropriated  to  his  empire,  and  he  was  one 
of  its  heads ;  but  now  he  himself  is  styled  the  beast,  because 
he  is  the  sole  and  last  head  by  which  the  beast  lives  and  be- 
comes a  single  animal,  the  other  six  heads  of  former  emperors 
being  dead.  He  may  be  also  said  to  come  up  out  of  the  sea, 
as  was  said  of  the  beast  in  ver.  I,  because  w'e  suppose  him  to 
be  born  in  Crim  Tartary  upon  the  Black  Sea,  and  to  succeed 

*  If  with  St.  Jerom,  Theodoret,  and  others,  we  understand  Antichrist  to 
be  the  shepherd  and  idol  spoken  of  in  the  following  passage  of  the  prophet 
Zachary  :  "  Behold  I  will  raise  up,  says  the  Lord,  a  shepherd  in  the  land, 
who  shall  not  visit  what  is  forsaken,  nor  seek  what  is  scattered,  nor  heal 
wliat  is  broken,  nor  nourish  that  which  stands  :  and  he  shall  eat  the  flesh 
of  the  fat  ones,  and  break  their  hoofs.  O  shepherd  and  idol,  that  forsakes  the 
flock  I  the  sword  upon  his  arm  and  upon  his  right  eye  :  his  arm  shall  quite 
wither  away,  and  his  right  eye  shall  be  utterly  darkened."  Zach.  xi.  16, 17. 
This  passage,  we  apprehend,  may  point  otrt  to  us  how  and  in  what  manner 
the  Antichristian  king  is  wounded,  vft.  the  sword  upon  his  arm  and  upon 
his  right  eye ;  and  St.  John  tells  us,  "  he  had  the  wound  by  the  sword." 
Apoc.  xiii.  14.  Perhaps  he  receives  a  stroke  upon  the  head,  which  reaches 
down  to  the  right  eye,  and  opens  the  skull.  And  though  he  is  cured  by  the 
operation  of  the  devil,  yet,  as  diabolical  operations  usually  are,  the  cure 
may  remain  imperfect ;  as  seems  to  be  indicated  by  what  is  added  :  "  his 
arm  shall  quite -wither  away,  and  his  right  eye  shall  be  utterly  darkened." 
How  diflferent  are  the  works  of  the  finger  of  God ;  ;iot  done  by  halves,  but 
complete  and  perfect. 


/.r- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  237 

to  the   Ottoman  empire  of  Constantinople,  which  city  also 
stands  on  the  sea. 

The  people  were  seized  with  astonishment,  as  just  above- 
mentioned,  ver.  4.  "  And  they  adored  the  dragon,  which  gave 
power  to  the  beast :  and  they  adored  the  beast,  saying :  who 
is  like  to  the  beast  ?  and  who  shall  be  able  to  fight  with  him  ?" 

They  suppose  the  cure  of  the  deadly  wound  to  have  been 
performed  by  the  dragon,  or  Satan ;  and  they  immediately 
worship  the  dragon,  for  his  having  shown  such  a  visible  pro- 
tection to  this  monarch,  and  vested  him  with  power,  authority, 
and  dominion,  beyond  any  monarch  that  ever  existed.  Upon 
these  considerations  they  also  proclaim  this  prince  superior  to 
every  other  creature,  invincible,  a  God,  and  adore  him,  say- 
ing :  "  who  is  like  to  the  beast  ?  and  who  shall  be  able  to  fight 
with  him  ?"  This  abominable  idolatrous  worship  may  the 
more  easily  take  place,  as  we  have  already  observed  that 
idolatry  will  probably  have  been  revived  in  the  world  some- 
what before  this  time  by  the  working  of  Satan,  from  the  mo- 
ment of  his  having  been  let  loose. 

Before  we  proceed  further,  let  us  observe  from  what  we 
have  already  related  out  of  the  1 3th  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse, 
that  the  Roman  empire,  which  had  been  long  ago  destroyed,  is 
here  revived  anew  under  the  Antichristian  monarch,  who  is 
here  styled  the  head  of  the  beast.  And  this  is  agreeable  to 
the  prediction  of  chap.  17.  v.  8,  of  the  Apocalypse,  {see  page 
103  :)  "  The  beast,  which  thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not,  and 
shall  come  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  destruc- 
tion: And  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  (whose  names  are  not 
written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation  of  the  world) 
shall  wonder,  seeing  the  beast,  that  was,  and  is  not ;"  here  the 
Greek  text  adds,  and  yet  is,  which  makes  the  sense  more 
complete  :  the  Roman  empire  in  its  last  period,  that  is,  the 
Antichristian  empire,  is  here  said  to  rise  from  the  bottomless 
pit  or  abyss  of  hell,  because  Satan,  who  lately  came  from 
thence,  is  the  soul  and  actuater  of  that  empire,  as  he  was  of 
the  same  Roman  empire  in  its  first  period  :  and  w^e  have  just 
now  seen,  that  effectually  the  dragon  or  Satan  gave  him,  the 
Antichristian  emperor,  his  own  strength,  and  his  throne,  and 
great  power.  Besides,  by  Satan  this  Roman  and  Antichristian 
empire  is  also  made  the  empire  of  idolatry,  as  it  had  been 
under  the  ancient  Roman  emperors;  for,  we  saw  above,  that 
they  adored  the  dragon,  who  gave  power  to  the  beast;  and 
they  adored  the  beast.  This  extraordinary  re-appearance  of 
that  powerful  and  idolatrous  empire,  so  long  ago  lost,  and  its 


f 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

signal  elevation  by  the  power  and  management  of  the  devil, 
seem  to  form  a  subject  of  great  astonishment  to  the  world,  and 
the  chief  inducement  to  idolatry ;  for  it  is  here  said,  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth  (whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book 
of  life)  shall  wonder,  seeing  the  beast,  that  was,  and  is  not, 
and  yet  is  ;  and  again  :  and  all  the  earth  was  in  admiration 
after  the  beast.  Above,  v.  3.  But  here  the  servants  of  God 
ought  to  admire  the  divine  bounty  and  providence,  and  may 
receive  comfort,  from  what  is  here  added,  that  the  beast  or 
idolatrous  Antichristian  empire  will  soon  go  into  destruction — 
we  now  likewise  see  appear  in  the  course  of  the  Apocalyp- 
tical history  that  remarkable  personage,  the  Antichristian 
emperor,  who  is  the  seventh  and  last  head  of  the  idolatrous 
Roman  empire,  conformably  to  what  we  were  admonished  to 
expect,  in  chap,  17.  v.  10,  five  (of  the  heads)  are  fallen,  one  is, 
and  the  other  is  not  yet  come  :  and  when  he  is  come,  he  must 
remain  a  short  time.  See  page  103.  Happy  indeed  for 
mankind  that  he  must  remain  but  a  short  time. 

To  return  to  the  issue  of  the  battle  fought  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Jerusalem,  between  the  Antichristian  emperor's 
army  and  that  of  his  enemies,  we  saw  him,  as  it  were  mortally 
wounded,  then  cured  by  Satan,  and  soon  re-appearing  at  the 
head  of  his  troops,  upon  which  follows  almost  a  general  de- 
fection of  the  people,  and  of  his  enemies,  who  came  over  to 
his  party.  In  consequence  of  this,  we  suppose  that  the  small 
remainder  of  the  adverse  army  flies  before  him,  and  he  enters 
Jerusalem. 

And  now  we  are  arrived,  as  we  conceive,  at  the  period 
when  this  ambitious  and  impious  hero  declares  himself  for- 
mally Antichrist,  that  is,  enemy  to  Christ.  Enraged,  on  one 
side,  at  his  having  been  wounded  and  thrown  into  the  jaws  of 
death,  perhaps  by  Christian  troops ;  enraged  again  by  the 
defection  of  the  Jews  from  him,  who  before  had  owned  him 
for  their  Messiah,  but  whom  he  finds  now  become  Christians, 
and  renouncing  all  connexion  with  him,  looking  upon  him  as 
the  most  audacious  and  basest  of  impostors  :  on  the  other 
hand,  elated  by  his  extraordinary  cure,  and  seeing  himself 
guarded  and  supported  by  the  whole  power  of  the  devil,  and 
multitudes  all  around  him  acknowledging  the  same,  he  swells 
with  the  spirit  of  pride  and  arrogance,  with  which -he  is  in- 
spired by  Satan,  who  has  entered  into  him.  He  thinks  him- 
self all-powerful.  In  these  satanic  dispositions  he  resolves  to 
acknowledge  no  superior,  in  heaven  or  on  earth  ;  and  in  that 
view  he  proceeds  to  a  temple  in  Jerusalem,  some  Christian 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  .CHURCH.  239 

Cliurch,  which  he  enters,  and  there  extoUing"  his  own  supreme 
authority,  his  dominion,  his  unlimited  power  over  every  thing, 
he  proclaims  himself  God,  and  ordains  divine  homage  and 
worship  to  be  paid  to  his  person.  This  we  learn  from  St. 
Paul,  who  thus  speaks  of  him :  '*  The  man  of  sin,  the  son  of 
perdition,  who  opposf^th  and  is  lifted  up  above  all  that  is  called 
God,  or  that  is  worshipped,  so  that  he  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,*  showing  himself  as  if  he  were  God,"t  2  Thess.  ii.  3,  4, 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  He  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God  as  God." 

+  Would  not  one  suspect  that  the  devil  has  suggested  the  titles  usually 
assumed  by  the  sultans  or  Turkish  emperors  of  Constantinople,  viz.  "  God 
upon  earth,  the  shadow  of  God,  the  giver  of  all  earthly  crowns,"  &c. ;  as 
thus  these  emperors  anticipate  in  some  measure  what  belongs  to  their  last 
successor,  Antichrist,  who  will  arrogate  to  himself  the  real  deity  and  power 
expressed  by  these  titles. 

I  shall  here  add  a  copy  of  such  like  assuming  titles,  translated  verbatim 
from  the  Arabic  language,  as  appears  in  the  following  assent  for  the  ar- 
mistice agreed  on  and  sent  by  the  Grand  Vizier  to  his  Excellency  Count 
Peter  Alexander  Romanzow : 

"  Firmly  relying  upon  the  assistance  of  the  only,  indivisible,  one  God,  to 
whom  nothing  is  comparable,  and  who  created  all  things,  and  declared  and 
revealed  his  divine  will  through  the  great  Mahomet."     Amen. 

"  The  most  righteous,  and  most  powerful,  and  great  emperor  and  sultan, 
created  to  this  dignity  bv  the  eternal  election  of  trie  Almighty;  gifted  with 
the  imperial  and  philanthropic  qualities  for  exhibiting  the  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  the  holy  state  of  Mecca;  and  invested  with  the  highest  power, 
and  reigning  over  an  infinite  multitude  of  nations,  both  by  land  and  sea; 
who  is  the  wisest  among  the  righteous  sultans,  the  most  deservedly  elected, 
and  worthiest  among  all  the  regents;  Sovereign  Lord  and  Ruler  over  all 
the  princes  in  the  world;  the  only  legislator  and  sovereign,  chosen  to  it 
out  of  the  most  serene  pedigree  in  the  world;  all  his  servants,  that  is  to 
fiay,  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  return  him  hearty  thanks  for  the  least 
grace  he  shows  to  them,  and  especially  for  the  grace  lie  shows  to  them  by 
the  present  declaration,  through  me,  Mahomet,  nis  unworthy  servant  and 
slave.  Whereas,  the  extreme  need  and  misery  of  his  subjects,  which  are 
intrusted  to  him,  by  the  eternal  Creator  himself,  went  to  his  heart.  Accord- 
ing to  his  imperial  philanthropy,  be  all  the  world  witness,  and  learn,  mo- 
rals. How  violent  the  love  for  liis  subjects,  being  in  his  most  noble  heart, 
by  tfeus  condescending,  through  the  great  love  he  bears  towards  his  ser- 
vants, to  agree  upon  the  present  annistiee:  He  declares,  before  the  eyes  of 
the  wise  and  virtuous  men,  whom  he  has  made  free,  and  exempted  from 
their  servitude,  that,  had  it  been  possible,  according  to  his  honour  and  glory, 
he  would  have  laid  before  them  the  circumstances  and  events  which  have 
pleased  God  and  the  great  Mahomet,  and  which  have  been  the  cause  of 
breaking  the  peace  between  the  everlasting  Ottoman  empire  and  the  Rus- 
sian inhabitants.  After  which  unreasonable  and  unclear  behaviour  in  the 
eyes  of  God  from  the  Russian  side,  the  sovereign  of  the  globe,  my  master, 
lighted  the  fire  of  war;  but,  alas!  what  homicide  and  bloodshed  on  both 
sides  hath  there  been  during  these  last  four  or  five  years? 

"  And  although  it  has  been  predestinated  so  to  be  in  the  eternal  council 
of  God,  yet  as  it  requires  a  reconciliation  through  the  great  prophet  Maho- 
met, and  seeing  that  at  last  the  most  famous  prince,  the  greatest  of  the 
princes  who  believe  in  Jesus,  the  only  elected  man  of  the  people  of  the 
Messiah,  the  only  decider  of  the  business  and  rights  of  the  natioris  of  Na- 
zareth, to  whom  my  master  allows  glory  and  majesty  during  his  pious  wi'l ; 
the  high,  the  happiest  governor,  and  emperor  of  Germany,  and  likewise  the 
king  of  Prussia,  the  end  of  both  which  princes,  so  that  they  may  be  led  into 
the  way  of  salvation ;  and  they  having  looked  into  the  terrible  bloodshed- 
ding,  and  written  constantly  to  their  minister,  residing  at  the  court  of  the 


240  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

He  thus  imitates,  but  far  surpasses  in  arrogance,  Caius  Cali- 
gula and  other  Roman  emperors,  his  ancient  predecessors, 
who  impiously  claimed  to  themselves  divine  honours. 

From  the  above  passage  of  St.  Paul,  some  have  inferred 
that  Antichrist  will  rebuild  the  great  temple  of  Jerusalem. 
But,  if  that  temple  is  ever  to  be  rebuilt,  probably  it  will  not 
be  done  until  after  the  ravages  and  persecution  of  Antichrist, 
according  to  that  prophecy  of  Daniel :  "And  there  shall  be  in 
the  temple  the  abomination  of  desolation  :  and  the  desolation 
shall  continue  even  to  the  consummation,  and  to  the  end,"  ix. 
27.  Besides,  one  may  observe  that  in  the  New  Testament 
the  great  temple  of  Jerusalem  is  always  expressed  by  the 
Greek  word  iepon,  and  a  common  temple  or  church  by  the 
word  NAOE,  as  in  the  present  passage  of  St.  Paul;  which 
gives  us  reason  to  think,  that  the  apostle  does  not  here  speak 
of  the  great  temple. 

However  that  may  be.  Antichrist  proceeds  to  forbid  any 
other  deity  to  be  acknowledged  but  himself,  and  prohibits  all 
worship  of  the  Supreme  Being,  all  exercise  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  particularly  the  sacrifice  of  the  altar,  because 
Christ  is  there  personally  adored  as  God.  These  presump- 
tuous extravagancies,  were,  in  general,  foretold  by  the  prophet 
Daniel.  "  From  the  time,"  says  he,  "  when  the  continual  sacri- 
fice shall  be  taken  away,  and  the  abomination  unto  desolation 

most  illustrious  Porte,  to  cry  for  mercy  before  the  most  brilliant  and  glo- 
rious throne  of  my  master,  whose  unworthy  slave  I  am.  And  as  it  was  at 
the  same  time  the  most  ardent  wishes  and  longing  from  the  throne  of  the 
glorious  princess  who  is  so  high  esteemed  by  the  princes  who  believe  in 
Jesus,  who  reigns  over  many  nations  of  Nazareth,  and  governs  the  people 
of  the  Messiah  with  honour,  and  with  heroic  mind  ;  and  who  acknowledges 
her  errors  and  unjust  contrivances  against  the  most  illustrious  Porte,  name- 
ly, the  empress  of  Russia,  whose  end  also  be  blessed,  and  may  she  be  led 
into  the  way  of  salvation  !  What  a  glory  for  the  great  and  high,  mighty, 
iust,  wise,  and  virtuous  sultan,  to  see  all  the  nations  of  Europe  represented 
by  the  ministers  of  the  princes  surrounding  his  throne,  and  sighing  for  his 
gracious  will !  but  not  to  gain  the  favour  of  all  those  princes,  nor  yet  influ- 
enced by  their  power  or  magnificence,  hath  been  the  cause  of  his  gracious 
will;  for  nothing  but  the  love  for  his  subjects  in  particular,  and  for  man- 
kind in  general,  hath  he  declared  his  most  pious  and  gracious  will  to  agree 
upon  an  armistice,  as  a  beginning  and  the  first  stone  to  peace  and  harmony, 
which  he  having  thus  accepted  of,  the  whole  world  is  rejoiced,  and  the  na- 
tions bring  him  thanks  to  his  most  slorious  throne;  and  to  me,  his  unwor- 
thy slave,  ne  gave  a  full  power,  to  wiiich  I  have  appointed  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  highest  divan,  the  president  of  the  college  of  Revillon,  a  com- 
mander of  six  regiments  of  horse,  the  most  worthy  Sen  Abdal  Rerim  Ef- 
fendi,  whose  glory  may  increase!  who  sent  to  me  the  nine  articles  of  it 
after  it  was  agreed  upon  :  and  as  I  found  them  consisting  with  the  honour. 
:;^lory,  and  magnificence  of  my  master,  whose  unworthy  slave  I  am,  and 
who  gave  me  full  power  to  give  my  assent  in  his  gloriful  name,  therefore 
I  say,  with  joy  and  praise  to  God,  and  to  the  great  prophet  Mahomet,  he 
may  continue  the  peace  among  mankind,  and  increase  the  glory  of  the 
wisest  and  most  just  sultan,  &c. 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  241 

shall  be  set  up,  there  shall  be  a  thousand  two  hundred  ninety- 
days,"  xii.  11.  The  continual  or  daily  sacrifice  of  the  altar, 
is  here  said  to  be  taken  away ;  and  the  abomination  unto  deso- 
lation is  set  up,  that  is,  the  abominable  worship  of  a  man  is 
set  up  in  the  place  of  that  of  God.  A  similar  impiety  and 
abomination  was  formerly  practised  by  the  idolatrous  king 
and  implacable  enemy  of  the  Jews,  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
who  "  forbade  holocausts  and  sacrifices  and  atonements  to  be 
made  in  the  temple  of  God — and  set  up  the  abominable  idol 
of  desolation*  upon  the  altar  of  God."  1  Maccab.  i.  47,  &c. 
57.  We  seem  to  be  also  forewarned  of  Antichrist's  abomina- 
tion, as  we  observed  under  the  sixth  seal,  by  our  Saviour  him- 
self, when  he  said :  "  When  therefore  you  shall  see  the  abomi- 
nation of  desolation,  which  was  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  pro- 
phet, standing-  in  the  holy  place,  he  that  readeth,  let  him  un- 
derstand: Then  they  that  are  in  Judea,  let  them  flee  to  the 
mountains"  Matth.  xxiv.  15,  16.  Upon  these  words  of  our 
Saviour  St.  Chrysostom  speaks  thus :  "  For  three  years  and 
six  months  the  Christian  sacrifice  must  be  taken  away  by  An 
tichrist,  and  the  Christians  flying  away  before  him  into  the 
deserts,  there  will  be  no  one  to  frequent  the  Church,  or  to  offer 
the  oblation  to  God."     Homil   49.  in  Matth.  24. 

It  is  worth  our  notice  what  we  further  learn  from  the 
above-cited  passaa^e  of  Daniel,  that  from  the  time  when  the 
daily  sacrifice  will  be  suppressed,  and  the  abomination  set  up, 
there  will  be  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days,  to  the 
end  of  Antichrist's  persecution,  which  Daniel  had  spoken  of 
in  the  preceding  verse.  That  persecution  will  last  three  years 
and  a  half,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter.  Hence,  then,  if  the  year 
be  supposed  to  consist  of  365  days,  three  years  and  a  half 
make  1278  days,  which  the  number  1290  exceeds  by  twelve; 
so  that  there  will  be  an  interval  of  twelve  days  betw^een  the 
time  when  Antichrist  sets  himself  up  for  God  in  the  temple, 
and  the  beginning  of  his  persecution.  But  this  interval  will 
be  thirty  days,  if  the  year  be  reckoned  only  of  360  days,  or 
forty-two  months  of  thirty  days  each,  which  round  way  of 
counting  is  usual  with  the  prophets. 

As  therefore  a  most  cruel  persecution  is  soon  to  follow,  and 
ail  sorts  of  other  means  will  likewise  be  employed  by  that 
monster  of  iniquity,  Antichrist,  to  force  the  worship  of  his 
pretended  divinity  upon  the  world,  the  Almighty  sends  a  most 
strong  and  pathetic  admonition  to  mankind  to  warn  them 
against  that  seduction  :  "  And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "  iinother 

*  The  statue  of  Jupiter  Olympius. 
21 


242  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

angel  flying-  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  eternal 
gospel,  to  preach  iinto  them  that  sit  upon  the  earth,  and  over 
every  nation,  and  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people: 

"  Saying  with  a  loud  voice :  fear  the  Lord,  and  give  him 
honour,  because  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come :  and  adore 
ye  him,  that  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  the  fountains 
of  waters."     Apoc.  xiv.  6,  7. 

The  angel  here  may  represent  Henoch  and  his  attendants, 
the  pastors  of  the  Church,  who  with  great  vigour  will  preach 
up,  first  in  Jerusalem,  and  then  in  all  other  nations,  the  eter- 
nal gospel  or  everlasting  covenant,  Isai.  xxiv.  5;  that  is,  the 
eternal  law,  founded  in  nature  itself,  that  forbids  divine  wor- 
ship to  be  paid  to  any  creature,  as  being  the  incommunicable 
right  of  the  Supreme  Being.  They  will  say :  adore  not  this 
impostor,  who  deceitfully  pretends  to  a  power  over  heaven, 
earth,  sea,  and  fountains  of  water;  but  "adore  him  that  really 
made  heaven,  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters," 
and  has  power  to  do  with  them  what  he  pleases.  These  ex- 
hortations the  preachers  will  enforce  with  that  peculiar  rea- 
son here  given,  "because  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come," 
because  the  time  will  soon  come,  in  three  years  and  a  half) 
when  the  judgment  of  God  will  fall  upon  this  "  man  of  sin, 
this  son  of  perdition,"  Antichrist,  and  he  shall  be  exter- 
minated. 

Antichrist  finding  that  many,  particularly  the  Jews,  refuse  to 
pay  him  divine  honour,  he  will  first  endeavour  to  bring  them 
over  by  persuasive  methods.  For  that  purpose  he  will  avail 
himself  of  the  "power  which  the  dragon  gave  him,"  as  we 
saw  above,  of  performing  wonders  and  working  false  miracles. 
Many  prodigies,  therefore,  and  extraordinary  performances, 
by  the  devil's  operation,  he  will  exhibit ;  "  whose  coming," 
says  St.  Paul,  "  is  according  to  the  working  of  Satan,  in  all 
power,  and  signs,  and  lying  wonders,"  2  Thess.  ii.  9.  By 
the  dazzling  appearance  of  these  wonderful  operations,  many 
will  be  staggered  in  their  faith,  and  will  be  seduced  to  wor- 
ship this  mock-God,  as  we  seem  to  learn  from  our  Saviour, 
who  said:  "There  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  pro- 
phets, and  shall  show  great  signs  and  wonders,  insomuch  as 
to  deceive,  if  possible,  even  the  elect,"  Matth.  xxiv.  24.  But 
Christ,  whose  providence  is  never  wanting  to  his  Church,  will 
interpose  his  power  to  baffle  that  of  the  devil  and  Antichrist. 
He  will  invest  many  of  the  Christian  preachers,  particularly 
Henoch  and  Elias,  with  extraordinary  miraculous  powers.  As 
Moses  and  Aaron  were  sent  by  the  Almighty  to  contend  with 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  243 

Pharaoh  and  his  magicians,  and  to  rescue  the  Israelites  from 
slavery :  so  will  Elias  and  Henoch  be  the  two  chief  messen- 
gers, whom  Christ  will  employ  to  oppose  his  enemy  Anti- 
christ, and  to  preserve  the  elect  from  falling  into  his  snares. 
And  as  the  magicians  of  Egypt,  with  all  their  demoniacal 
charms  and  incantations,  were  vanquished  by  the  signal  supe- 
riority of  the  miracles  of  Moses  and  Aaron ;  so  will  the  pro- 
digies of  Antichrist  be  eclipsed  and  confounded  by  the  far 
greater  number  and  splendour  of  the  miracles  of  Elias  and 
Henoch.  "  And  1  will  give,"  says  Christ,  "  unto  my  two  wit- 
nesses, and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  sixty 
days,  clothed  in  sackcloth.  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them, 
in  this  manner  must  he  be  slain. — These  have  power  to  shut 
Heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy ;  and 
they  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them  into  blood,  and  to 
strike  the  earth  with  all  plagues  as  often  as  they  will."  Apoc. 
xi.  3,  5,  6.  These  miracles  we  have  before  explained,  see 
page  140.  In  conformity  to  this  passage  St.  Ephron  speaks 
thus:  "God  in  his  mercy  will  send  Elias  and  Henoch,  who 
will  openly  exliort  the  people  not  to  believe  in  Antichrist." 
Serm.  de  Antichr.  And  St.  Ambrose :  "  Henoch  and  Elias 
are  destined  to  be  the  Apostles  of  the  last  times ;  for  they  are 
to  be  sent  before  the  last  coming  of  Christ,  to  prepare  the 
people  of  God,  and  to  animate  all  the  Churches  to  resist  An- 
tichrist." In  Ep.  1.  ad  Corinth,  c.  4. — St.  Gregory  the  Great 
likewise  says,  that  "  Elias  and  Henoch  will  appear  upon  the 
stage  of  the  world  to  oppose  Antichrist."  In  Job,  lib.  15.  c. 
36.  When  the  powers  of  the  Almighty  and  Satan  come  in 
competition,  the  latter  must  certainly  vanish. — Whence  it  fol- 
lows, that  those  only  will  be  deluded,  who  wilfully  shut  their 
eyes  to  the  clear  light  of  evidence;  and  so  we  are  informed 
by  St.  Paul ;  "whose  coming,"  Antichrist's,  "  is  according  to 
the  working  of  Satan,  in  all  power,  and  signs,  and  lying  won- 
ders, and  in  all  seduction  of  iniquity  to  them  that  perish ;  be- 
cause they  receive  not  the  love  of  the  truth  that  they  might  be 
saved.  Therefore  God  shall  send  them  ihe  operation  of  error, 
to  believe  lying;  that  all  maybe  judged  who  have  not  be- 
lieved the  truth,  but  have  consented  to  iniquity."  2  Thess.  ii. 
9,10,11. 

Antichrist  seeing  all  his  wonderful  operations  baffled  by  the 
shining  evidence  of  Henoch's  and  Elias's  miracles,  and  per- 
ceiving that  multitudes  of  Christians  refuse  to  acknowledge 
his  godhead,  he  swells  with  anger,  and  being  actuated  by  the 
hellish  fiend  that  possesses  him,  he  arrogantly  boasts  of  his  pre- 


244  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

eminence  over  all  other  men  that  have  ever  existed,  of  the 
greatness  of  his  empire,  of  the  number  of  his  armies,  of  his 
command  over  all  the  beings  and  works  of  nature,  and  even 
presumes  to  extol  his  own  power  above  that  of  the  Almighty; 
as  it  seems  to  follow  from  what  St.  John  proceeds  to  say  of 
him: 

Chap.  xiii.  5.  "  And  there  was  given  to  him  a  mouth 
speaking  great  things,  and  blasphemies."  And  St.  Paul  calls 
him,  "the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition,  who  opposeth  and 
is  lifted  up  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped." 
2  Thess.  ii.  3,  4.  Diniel  also  gives  us  much  the  same  pic- 
ture of  him  :  "And  behold,"  says  that  prophet,  "  eyes  like  the 
eyes  of  a  man  were  in  this  little  horn,  and  a  mouth  speaking 
great  things,"  vii.  8.  We  have  before  observed,  that  Anti- 
christ is  meant  by  the  little  horn,  which  is  here  said  to  have 
eyes  like  the  eyes  of  a  man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things;  the  eyes  of  a  man  and  a  mouth  indicate  a  man,  one 
individual  man,  who  speaks  great  things,  as  we  have  just 
heard  from  St.  John.  Daniel  goes  on  painting  his  character: 
"and  he  shall  think  himself  able  to  change  times  and  laws," 
vii.  25.  He  will  imagine  himself  powerful  enough  to  change 
times,  the  course  of  times  and  seasons  of  the  year,  as  night 
into  day,  winter  into  summer,  &c.,  and  to  change  laws,  to  alter 
the  laws  by  which  nature  acts,  by  which  the  sun,  and  moon, 
and  other  planets,  move,  to  alter  their  times  of  rising  and  set- 
ting, to  raise  up  the  harvest  in  winter,  and  to  make  the  earth 
barren  in  summer,  and  to  command  the  clouds  to  rain,  or  not, 
at  his  pleasure;  in  fine,  he  will  boast  of  having  power  to  re- 
verse the  whole  order  of  nature.  And  perhnps  he  will  attempt 
some  particular  of  this  sort,  which  by  the  devil's  aid  he  may 
apparently  effect. 

V.  5.  "  And  power  was  given  him  to  do  two  and  forty 
months."  He  is  permitted  by  the  Almighty  to  do  what  he 
pleases  during  two  and  forty  months,  or  three  years  and  a 
half,  or  else,  as  the  Greek  text  has  it,  power  was  given  him 
to  make  war  two  and  forty  months,  which  he  resolves  to  do 
with  the  utmost  violence  and  cruelty. 

V.  6.  "  And  he  opened  his  mouth  unto  blasphemies, 
against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name  and  his  tabernacle,  and 
them  that  dwell  therein."  Here  is  a  shocking  picture  of  An- 
tichrist's superlative  arrogance  and  unparalleled  impiety.  In- 
flated with  the  venom  that  Satan  instils  into  his  heart,  and 
furious  against  the  Christians,  whom,  with  all  his  art  and 
feigned  miracles,  he  has  not  been  able  to  gain  over,  he  now, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  245 

in  rage,  flies  in  the  face  of  heaven.  He  pours  out  blasphe- 
mies against  God ;  Lucifer-like,  he  revolts  against  God,  and 
blasphemes  him ;  he  blasphemes  his  name,  that  is,  religion, 
which  commands  homage  to  be  paid  to  the  Supreme  Being 
alone ;  he  blasphemes  his  tabernacle,  or  heaven,  the  seat  of 
God,  and  his  Church  on  earth ;  he  blasphemes  them  that 
dAvell  in  heaven,  that  is,  the  angels  and  saints.  Thus  this 
monster  of  iniquity,  like  a  swollen  sea  that  overtops  all  boun- 
daries, rises  up  against  God  and  every  thing  that  is  holy. — 
Daniel  with  one  stroke  of  his  pencil  draws  much  the  same 
picture  of  him :  "  And  he  Avill  speak  words  against  the  Most 
High,"  vii.  25.  He  seems  to  have  sucked  up  all  the  virulence 
and  spirit  of  impiety  of  the  preceding  ages.  In  the  fourth 
vial,  we  heard  blasphemies  against  the  name  of  God,  Apoc. 
xvi.  9 ;  and  in  the  fifth  vial,  blasphemies  against  the  God  of 
heaven,  Apoc.  xvi.  11.  Both  these  sorts  of  blasphemy  Anti- 
christ uses,  and  adds  others  to  them. 

St.  John  seems  to  intimate  in  his  first  Epistle,  some  parti- 
cular instances  of  this  man's  presumption  and  opposition  to 
Christ.  He  will  deny  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  or  the  Messiah, 
and  will  thereby  endeavour  to  take  away  the  belief  of  the 
blessed  Trinity.  "  Who  is  a  liar,*  but  he  who  denieth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ?  This  is  Antichrist,!  who  denieth  the 
Father  and  the  Son."  1  Ep.  ii.  22.  He  will  deny  that  the 
Son  of  God  took  human  flesh :  "  Every  spirit  that  dissolveth 
Jesus,:}:  is  not  of  God ;  and  this  is  Antichrist,^  of  whom  you 
have  heard  that  he  comes  and  is  now  already  in  the  world." 
1  Ep.  iv.  3. — Here  St.  John  says  that  Antichrist,  who  they 
have  heard  will  one  day  come  into  the  world,  "  is  now  already 
in  the  world ;"  that  is,  there  are  already  in  the  world  men, 
who  broach  such  impious  doctrine  about  Christ,  as  Antichrist 
himself  will  do.  Such  were  the  Simonians  and  Corinthians 
in  St.  John's  time.  St.  Paul  has  likewise  sufficiently  described 
the  detestable  character  of  Antichrist,  calling  him,  ''•  the  man 
of  sin,  that  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself  as 
if  he  were  God — whose  coming  is  according  to  the  working 
of  Satan."  2  Thess.  c.  2.  And  in  a  similar  strain  have  also 
the  ancient  fathers  spoken  of  him.  "  Satan,"  says  St.  Jerom, 
"will  wholly  possess  Antichrist,"  in  Dan.  c.  7.  St.  Chrysos- 
tom  says :  "  Antichrist  will  be  a  man,  that  will  possess  all 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  (the  liar.) 
t  In  the  Greek,  (the  Antichrist.) 

t  In  the  Greek,  (that  doth  not  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh.) 
§  In  the  Greek,  (and  this  is  the  spirit  of  Antichrist.) 

21* 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

the  power  of  Satan."  St.  Trenseus  is  very  ample  in  the  de- 
scription of  his  character.     Adversus  Haer.  lib.  5.  c.  25. 

St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  7.  "  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the 
saints,  and  to  overcome  them."  Here  Antichrist  has  power 
allowed  him  to  persecute  "  the  saints,"  or  good  Christians, 
"and  to  overcome  them,"  or  put  them  to  death  with  great 
cruelty  and  torments ;  and  this  we  shall  soon  see  him  putting 
in  execution. 

V.  7.  "  And  power  was  given  him  over  every  tribe,  and 
people,  and  tongue,  and  nation." 

His  power,  his  dominion  will  extend  over  every  nation  and 
people  of  ihe  globe.  Already  monarch  of  a  great  part  of  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth,  when  he  commences  Antichrist ;  the 
rest  he  will  now  subdue,  and  thus  will  become  master  to 
tyrannize  over  mankind,  and  persecute  religion  in  every 
corner  of  the  world.  We  shall  here  just  remark,  that  the 
reason  why  St.  John  in  this  and  several  other  places  of  the 
Apocalypse  uses  the  four  terms,  tribe,  people,  tongue,  and 
nation,  seems  to  be  to  indicate  the  four  great  divisions  of  the 
earth,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America;  the  term  people, 
probably  being  put  for  Europe;  nation,  for  Asia;  tongue,  for 
Afrivd  ;  and  tribe,  for  America.  And  the  order  in  which  the 
above  terms  stand  in  this  place,  perhaps  indicates  the  progres- 
sive course  of  Antichrist's  conquests. 

V.  8.  "  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  adored  him,* 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb, 
which  was  slain  from  the  beginning  of  the  world." 

Here  we  see  such  a  general  apostacy  of  mankind,  that,  ex- 
cept those  whose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the 
Lamb,  which  was  slain  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  in 
the  decrees  of  God,  that  is,  except  the  predestined,  all  the  rest 
yield  to  the  tyranny  and  persecution  of  Antichrist,  and  adore 
him  as  a  God. 

The  preceding  account  of  Antichrist's  character,  power,  and 
actions,  doubtless,  must  appear  to  every  one  \'ery  alarming: 
nevertheless  we  further  learn  from  St.  John,  that  this  man  of  sin, 
this  son  of  perdition,  notwithstanding  his  exorbitant  power 
and  Satanic  malice,  as  if  yet  not  sufficiently  armed  for  mis- 
chief, will  acquire  an  associate  of  the  same  stamp  as  himself, 
w  ho  will  perform  the  function  of  his  principal  minister,  and 
be  his  chief  aid  in  the  course  of  his  future  proceedings. 

Chap.  xiii.  11.   "  And  I  saw,''  says  St.  John,  "  another  beast 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  (will  adore  Lira.) 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  247 

coming  up  out  of  the  earth,  and  he  had  two  horns,  like  a 
lamb,  and  he  spoke  as  a  dragon."  The  first  beast,  ver.  1,  ap- 
peared to  St.  John  rising  out  of  the  sea,  because  it  was  the 
figure  of  a  great  empire,  or  a  great  emperor,  viz.  Antichrist : 
this  second  beast,  therefore,  rising  out  of  the  earth,  denotes  a 
private  man.  And  he  had  two  horns,  like  a  lamb  ;  horns  are 
an  emblem  of  strength  or  power,  and  these  two  horns  signify 
the  power  of  speech,  and  the  power  of  false  miracles,  with 
which  this  man  is  endued.  These  powers  are  similar,  but 
only  in  appearance,  to  those  which  the  true  Lamb,  or  Jesus 
Christ,  eminently  possessed ;  the  miracles  of  this  new  man 
or  second  beast  being  no  more  than  impostures,  works 
performed  by  the  intervention  of  the  devil ;  and  his  speech, 
though  eloquent  and  engaging,  is  artful,  hypocritical,  mali- 
cious, and  deceitful ;  for  he  speaks  like  a  dragon,  or  like  the 
devil  that  deluded  Eve.  This  man  is  the  false  prophet,  as 
St.  John  calls  him  in  chap.  xix.  20,  and  other  places,  that  at- 
tends Antichrist,  is  his  principal  agent,  and,  like  him,  receives 
all  his  power  from  the  devil.  St.  Irenseus  mentions  him  thus: 
"St.  John,  in  the  Apocalypse,  speaking  of  Antichrist's  attend- 
ant, whom  he  calls  the  false  prophet,  says,  he  spoke  like  a 
dragon,  and  executed  all  the  power  of  the  former  beast  in  his 
sight,"  &c.  as  in  the  following  verse.     Adv.  Heer.  1.  v.  c.  28. 

V.  12.  "And  he  executed  all  the  power  of  the  former  beast 
in  his  sight:  and  he  caused  the  earth,  and  them  that  dwell 
therein,  to  adore  the  first  beast,  whose  wound  to  death  was 
healed."  The  false  prophet,  to  enhance  the  credit  of  his  mas- 
ter, will  perform  in  his  presence  the  same  wonders  that  Anti- 
christ himself  is  capable  of  doing,  and  thus  will  prevail  on 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  to  adore  the  first  beast,  w^hose 
wound  to  death  was  healed,  that  is,  Antichrist,  who  had  been 
mortally  wounded,  and  cured.  Perhaps  also  from  the  ex- 
pression, he  caused  the  earth  to  adore  the  first  beast,  it  may 
be  inferred,  that  the  false  prophet  by  his  enchantments  will 
make  the  inanimate  beings,  such  as  trees  and  other  things, 
appear  to  pay  a  kind  of  homage  to  Antichrist. 

V.  13.  "And  he  did  great  signs,  so  that  he  made  also  fire 
come  down  from  heaven  unto  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men." 
Such  then  will  be  the  power  of  the  false  prophet,  that  he  will 
make  fire  come  down  from  the  sky,  by  the  help  of  the  devil. 
"  What  we  read  in  the  book  of  Job,"  says  St.  Ambrose,  "  that 
the  devil  brought  down  fire  from  heaven  by  the  divine  per- 
mission, he  will  do  the  same  in  the  last  days  by  his  iustrU" 
ments,  Antichrist  and  Antichrist's  followers," 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

The  false  prophet  seems  here  to  imitate  one  of  Henoch's 
and  Elias's  miracles ;  but  the  miracles  of  these  two  witnesses 
far  outshine  his  in  number,  lustre,  and  evidence,  and  will  be 
the  means  of  preserving  from  seduction  the  men  of  good  will, 
but  will  be  the  instrument  of  error  to  those,  Avho,  as  St.  Paul 
says,  "  receive  not  the  love  of  truth  that  they  may  be  saved." 
For, 

V.  14.  "And  he  seduced  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  for 
the  signs  which  were  given  him  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast, 
saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make 
the  image  of  the  beast,*  w^hich  had  the  wound  by  the  sword, 
and  lived."  By  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  seem  to  be  un- 
derstood those  who  wilfully  shut  their  eyes  to  the  truth,  and 
them  he  seduces  by  the  signs  which  he  is  allowed  power  to 
do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast,  and  prevails  with  them  to  raise 
an  image  or  a  statue  to  Antichrist,  and  to  adore  it.  He  en- 
forces his  wonderful  performances,  by  representing  his  master 
as  certainly  God,  since  he  had  been  mortally  wounded  by  the 
sword,  and  was  nevertheless  alive  and  well.  But  this  sophister 
is  not  able  to  prove  the  cure  to  have  been  complete,  for  it  is 
here  said  that  the  beast  which  lived,  has  the  wound  by  the 
sword,  that  is,  hath  the  cicatrix,  or  mark  of  the  wound  remain- 
ing after  the  cure ;  an  argument  of  its  being  the  work  of  an 
imperfect  operator.  This  agrees  with  what  was  remarked, 
p.  236. 

V.  15.  "  And  it  was  given  him  to  give  life  to  the  image  of 
the  beast,  and  the  image  of  the  beast  should  speak :  and  should 
cause,  that  whosoever  will  not  adore  the  image  of  the  beast, 
should  be  slain."  The  false  prophet  has  further  power,  by 
the  divine  permission,  to  give  apparent  life  to  the  image  or 
statue  of  Antichrist,  insomuch  that  it  shall  speak,  or  rather 
the  devil  in  it,  and  deliver  his  oracles,  which  was  often  done 
in  the  ancient  times  of  paganism;  and  that  the  image  shall 
cause,  that  whosoever  will  not  adore  the  image  of  the  beast, 
or  Antichrist,  shall  be  slain,  that  is,  at  the  command  of  the 
devil,  speaking  by  the  statue,  those  who  refuse  to  adore  it 
will  be  put  to  death.     This  will  be  done  in  the  persecution. 

V.  16.  "And  he  shall  make  all,  both  little  and  great,  rich 
and  poor,  freemen  and  bondmen,  to  have  a  character  in  their 
right  hand,  or  on  their  foreheads."  The  same  wicked  minis- 
ter of  Antichrist  will  oblige  people  of  all  denominations,  such 
will  be  the  general  apostacy,  to  let  him  imprint  a  character, 
or  particular  mark  in  their  right  hand  or  on  their  foreheads, 

♦  In  the  Greek,  (an  image  to  the  beast,  which  hath  the  wound,)  &c. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  249 

by  which  they  will  be  distinguished  as  the  votaries  of  Anti- 
christ. 

V.  17.  "And  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  but  he  that 
hath  the  character,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number 
of  his  name."  No  one  will  be  allowed  to  buy  or  sell  any 
commodity,  unless  he  shows  the  above  mentioned  mark,  or 
the  name  of  the  beast,  that  is,  the  print  upon  himself  of  Anti- 
christ's name,  or  of  the  number  of  his  name.  A  similar 
severity  was  used  in  Dioclesian's  persecution,  when  it  was 
forbid  for  any  one  to  buy  or  sell  in  the  public  market,  unless 
he  firot  offered  incense  to  an  idol  erected  there  for  that  purpose. 

Thus  will  this  other  beast,  or  wicked  minister  of  Antichrist, 
exert  all  his  skill  and  power  to  enforce  the  execrable  and  ab- 
surd opinion  of  his  master's  divinity.  Thus  will  he  employ 
every  diabolical  art,  both  of  persuasion  and  force,  to  prevail 
with  his  detestable  enemy.  And  thus,  as  Tertullian  says, 
"  will  the  beast  Antichrist  with  his  false  prophet  oppress  the 
Church  with  persecution."     De  Re?ur.  Carnis,  c.  25. 

It  was  said  above  that  no  one  would  be  allowed  to  buy  or 
sell,  unless  he  bore  the  mark  of  Antichrist,  or  his  name,  or 
the  number  of  his  name.  His  name  then  is  something  mys- 
terious, as  the  letters  of  it  will  contain  a  particular  number, 
which  God  in  his  bounty  here  gives  as  one  characteristic 
among  others,  by  which  he  may  be  known,  and  consequently 
rejected  and  abhorred.     For  thus  proceeds  St.  John, 

V,  18.  "  Here  is  wisdom."  He  that  hath  understanding, 
let  him  count  the  number  of  the  beast.  For  it  is  the  number 
of  a  man :  and  the  number  of  him  is  six  hundred  sixty-six. 

Here  is  wisdom,  here  it  is  proper  to  take  notice.  He  that 
has  understanding,  he  that  has  a  share  of  skill  and  knowledge, 
let  him  count  the  number  of  the  beast,  which  he  may  do,  for 
it  is  the  number  of  a  man ;  that  is,  it  is  the  number  of  the 
name  of  a  man,  conformably  to  what  is  said  m  the  preceding 
verse.  And  the  number  of  him  is  six  hundred  sixty-six ;  the 
number  thereof  contained  in  Antichrist's  name  will  be  666. 
According  to  the  account  we  have  given  of  that  impious  man, 
he  will  be  born  a  Mahometan  prince,  and  will  rise  to  the  head 
of  the  Turkish  empire.  We  may  therefore  be  allowed  to 
suppose  him  to  bear  the  name  of  Mahomet,  a  name  which  so 
many  emperors,  his  predecessors,  will  have  borne  before  him, 
in  honour  of  the  first  founder  of  the  Mahometan  religion  and 
empire.  This  name  expressed  in  the  Greek  language,  be- 
cause St.  John  wrote  the  Apocalypse  in  Greek,  is  maometie, 
or  MOAMETiE,  as  Euthymius,  and  the  Greek  historians  Zono- 


250  HISTORY  or  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

ras  and  Credenus  write  it ;  and  according  to  the  Greek  nu* 
me  ration  it  stands  thus : 

M 40 

A 1 

O 70 

M  -        -        -        -        .  40 

E 5 

T 300 

I 10 

S 200 


666 


It  may  be  here  observed,  how  contrary  to  the  sense  of  scrip- 
ture  is  the  opinion  of  some  moderns,  who,  in  the  spirit  of  op* 
position  to  the  Catholic  religion,  assign  for  the  name  of  Anti- 
christ a  generical  term,  containing  indeed  the  number  666,  but 
not  expressing  a  determinate  man ;  and  this  indeterminate 
name  they  apply  to  a  succession  of  many  persons  ;  whereas 
St.  John  plainly  says ;  "  it  is  the  number  of  a  man,  the  num- 
ber of  his  name ;"  it  is  therefore  the  number  of  the  single 
name  of  a  particular  man.  And  in  like  manner  is  Antichrist 
evidently  described  by  St.  Paul  as  an  individual  man.  For 
in  what  other  sense,  partiality  apart,  can  the  apostle  be  under- 
stood, when  he  styles  him,  "the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdi- 
tion, the  opposer,  who  sitteth  as  God  in  the  temple  of  God ; 
the  wicked  one,  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  kill  with  the 
spirit  of  his  mouth,"  &c.  2  Thess.  2.  The  description  of 
him,  which  we  have  seen  in  Daniel,  is  likewise  of  the  same 
tenor.  The  fathers  of  the  Church  join  also  in  the  same 
opinion,  and  are  very  copious  in  their  account  of  his  charac- 
ter. The  whole  series  we  have  hitherto  given  of  his  history, 
drawn  from  those  sources,  plainly  points  him  out  as  one  indi- 
vidual being,  an  extraordinary  man ;  and  it  will  be  further 
confirmed  in  the  sequel.  In  fine,  such  has  been  the  constant 
and  unanimous  tradition  from  the  rise  of  Christianity  through 
all  ages ;  as  may  be  seen  in  the  series  of  the  scripture  inter- 
preters and  ecclesiastical  writers.  Nay,  even  so  universal 
and  fixed  has  always  been  that  notion  of  Antichrist,  that  it 
may  be  put  upon  a  level  with  the  belief  of  the  former  exist- 
ence of  an  Alexander  or  Julius  Caesar;  nor  can  hardly  be 
found  now  an  individual  in  the  common  class  of  people,  and 
of  the  narrowest  education,  but  knows  in  general  the  charac- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  251 

ter  of  that  enemy  of  Christ,  and  expects  his  coming  in  the 
last  period  of  the  world.  This  tradition  is  therefore  traced 
up  to  the  time  of  the  apostles,  and  owes  its  existence  to  what 
they  taught.  St.  Paul  is  an  express  voucher,  that  he  had  in- 
structed the  Thessalonians  on  that  head.  "  Remember  you 
not,"  says  he,  "that  when  I  was  yet  with  you,  I  told  you  these 
tilings?"  2  Thess.  ii.  5. 

To  return  to  the  transactions  of  Antichrist :- — Finding  him- 
self so  powerful  by  Satan's  aid,  and  seconded  by  so  able  a 
minister,  his  false  prophet,  while  on  the  other  hand  he  sees 
the  converted  Jews  and  other  Christians  refusing  him  divine 
homage,  and  so  fortified  by  the  exhortations  and  miracles  of 
their  teachers,  that  all  his  pretended  wonders  and  persuasive 
arts  can  make  no  impression  upon  them ;  he  resolves,  by  the 
instigation  of  Satan,  to  compel  them  by  force  into  compliance, 
to  show  no  mercy  to  the  refractory,  but  to  destroy  them,  and 
uUerly  abolish  the  Christian  name.  Full  of  self-conceit  and 
rage,  he  is  determined  to  suffer  no  rival  in  heaven  or  on  earth, 
but  that  all  mankind  shall  bow  in  homage  to  him  as  God, 
and  as  the  sole  monarch  of  the  whole  world.  This  he  de- 
signs to  effect  by  the  invincible  force  of  his  immense  army, 
with  which  he  purpo'ses  to  carry  ravage,  devastation,  and  de- 
struction, throughout  every  nation  that  resists  him.  Such  are 
the  hellish  determinations  he  fixes;  but  before  he  commences 
the  execution  of  them,  Christ,  the  faithful  governor  of  the 
Church,  and  supreme  in  his  power,  is  pleased  to  give  a  spe- 
cial warning  to  his  beloved  servants,  and  for  their  support 
proclaims  the  following  sentence: 

Chap.  xiii.  9.  "  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear :" 
let  every  one  give  attention. 

V.  10.  "  He,  that  shall  lead  into  captivity,  shall  go  into 
captivity :  he,  that  shall  kill  by  the  sword,  must  be  killed  by 
the  sword.  Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints." 
That  is,  in  the  following  persecution  and  war  of  Antichrist, 
those  that  force  others  into  captivity,  shall  themselves  be  made 
captives :  and  those  that  cruelly  put  others  to  death  shall 
undergo  the  same  fate.  Judgment  is  therefore  already  pro- 
nounced against  Antichrist  and  his  agents,  that  as  they  deal 
with  others,  they  shall  be  dealt  vrith  themselves.  Then  it  is 
added,  Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints.  Here 
is  the  motive  of  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints,  or  the 
servants  of  God  in  this  world.  By  faith  they  rely  on  the  pro- 
mises of  God  for  the  reward  of  their  patience,  and  leave  him 
to  vindicate,  as  he  may  judge  fit,  their  cause  with  respect  to 


25S^  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

their  persecutors.  Such  is  the  previous  instruction  Christ 
sends  to  his  servants,  before  the  dreadful  day  of  persecution. 
But  as  the  converted  Jews  are  destined  to  stand  foremost  in 
the  battle,  and  to  be  the  first  victims  of  Antichrist's  fury,  and 
must  therefore  set  forth  a  glorious  example  of  fortitude  to  the 
other  Christians,  they  are  provided  with  an  extraordinary 
share  of  grace,  and  a  peculiar  degree  of  courage  and  con- 
stancy for  their  terrible  conflict.  For  thus  we  hear  this  sin- 
gular favour  announced  by  St.  John : 

Chap.  vii.  1.  "After  these  things,  I  saw  four  angels  stand- 
ing on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds 
of  the  earth,  that  they  should  not  blow*  upon  the  earth,  nor 
upon  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree. 

V.  2.  "And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  rising 
of  the  sun,  having  the  sign  of  the  living  God:  and  he  cried 
with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to 
hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea, 

V.  3.  "  Saying :  hurt  not  the  earth,  the  sea,  nor  the  trees, 
till  we  sign  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads." 

Here  are  four  angels,  standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  which  they  are 
ready  to  let  go,  and  which  are  to  cause  desolation  over  the 
whole  globe.  By  the  four  winds  of  the  earth  are  meant  the 
persecutions  which  are  going  to  rise  in  every  part  of  the  earth, 
and  which  will  form  the  general  persecution  of  Antichrist,  as 
the  four  winds  join  to  compose  one  general  wind.  But  this 
persecution  is  withheld  for  a  while  by  a  divine  command, 
which  is  carried  by  an  angel  ascending  from  the  east,  as 
coming  from  Him  who  ascended  above  the  heaven  of  heavens 
to  the  east."  Ps.  Ixvii.  34.  The  wind  of  persecution  will 
hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  that  is,  will  fall  upon  the  Christian 
people  wherever  they  are,  and  the  trees,  or  their  pastors  and 
clergy.  But  this  alarming  disaster  is  suspended,  till  the  angel 
has  marked  the  servants  of  God  in  their  foreheads  with  the 
sign  of  the  Jiving  God,  that  is,  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  of 
Christ,  who  having  died  upon  it,  rose  again  to  life.  But  who 
those  servants  of  God  are,  we  are  told  in  the  next  verse. 

V.  4.  "  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  that  were  signed  ; 
a  hundred  forty-four  thousand  were  signed,  of  every  tribe  oif 
the  children  of  Israel."  No  sooner  almost  have  the  Jews 
tasted  the  comfort  of  having  recovered  the  favour  of  their  God 
by  embracing  Christianity,  but  behold!  144,000  of  them  are 
marked  out  and  destined  to  be  immolated  to  Christ  by  martyr- 

♦  In  the  Greek,  "  that  a  wind  should  not  blow,"  &c. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  253 

dom,  and  are  therefore  signed  on  the  forehead  by  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Church  with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  or  confirmed  in 
faith  and  fortitude,  as  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation  is  always 
conferred  with  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  forehead. 
Thus,  then,  this  great  number  of  converted  Jews  are  prepared 
to  grace  Christianity  by  their  triumph  over  torments  and  death. 
But  as  we  learn  from  St.  Paul,  that  "  all  Israel  will  be  saved," 
(Rom.  xL  26,)  it  is  plain  that,  considering  the  vast  body  of  the 
Jewish  people,  the  number  of  martyrs  here  mentioned,  must 
fall  much  short  of  the  number  of  converted  Jews.  The  rest 
therefore  will  remain  to  reflect  honour  on  the  Christian  reli- 
gion by  their  zeal  in  promoting  it,  and  by  their  exemplary 
lives.  This  select  number  of  144,000  champions,  or  twelve 
times  twelve  thousand,  is  made  up  by  culling  twelve  thousand 
out  of  each  tribe,  as  follows: 

V.  5.  "  Of  the  tribes  of  Juda  were  twelve  thousand  signed. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe 
of  Gad,  twelve  thousand  signed. 

V.  6,  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Nephthali,  tw  elve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe 
of  Manasses,  twelve  thousand  signed 

V  7.  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Levi,  twelve  thousand  signed  Of  the  tribe  of 
Issachar,  twelve  thousand  signed. 

V.  8.  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon,  twelve  thousand  signed. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe 
ei  Benjamin,  twelve  thousand  signed." 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  CONTINUATION   OF  THE   HISTORY  OF  THE  SIXTH  AGE. 

The  Almighty  having  prepared  his  faithful  servants  for 
the  terrible  confiict  he  proposes  to  subject  them  to,  he  an- 
nounces the  great  persecution  and  terrible  war,  and  exhibits 
the  state  of  the  Church  at  the  time  they  begin,  in  the  follow- 
ing manner : 

Chap.  xi.  1.  "  And  there  was  given  me,"  says  St.  John,  "a 
reed  like  unto  a  rod:  and  it  was  said  to  me:*  Arise,  and 
measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  adore 
therein. 

♦  In  the  Greek,  "  And  the  angel  stood,  saying." 
22 


254  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  2.  "  But  the  court,  which  is  without  the  temple,  cast  out, 
and  measure  it  not:  because  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,* 
and  the  holy  city  they  shall  tread  under  foot  two  and  forty 
months."  The  churches  consecrated  to  the  true  service  of  God, 
at  this  time,  so  far  diminished  in  number,  or  so  little  filled,  on 
account  of  the  general  apostacy  and  degeneracy  of  mankind, 
that  all  these  churclies  are  here  represented  to  St.  John  as  re- 
duced into  one  single  church  or  temple.  The  faithful  minis- 
ters of  God  are  also  become  so  [ew,  as  to  be  represented  as 
oificiating  at  one  altar  in  this  Church ;  and  all  the  good  and 
zealous  Christians  make  up  so  small  a  number,  with  respect 
to  the  whole  bulk  of  mankind,  that  they  are  shown  to  St.  John 
as  collected  in  this  one  temple,  paying  their  adoration  to  God. 
I'here  is  therefore  given  to  St.  John  a  reed,  or  a  small  slender 
measuring  rod,  as  sufficient  for  the  few  inconsiderable  mea- 
sures he  has  to  take,  and  he  is  told  to  measure  the  temple  of 
God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  adore  therein,  that  the  small 
size  of  both  temple  and  altar  may  appear,  and  the  little  com- 
pass in  which  are  comprised  those  who  are  there  adoring  God. 

But  for  the  court,  which  is  without  the  temple,  that  is,  the 
great  multitude  of  those  who  for  want  of  the  spirit  of  religion, 
enter  not  the  temple,  but  stand  in  the  court  without  the  tem- 
ple, St.  John  is  told  not  to  measure  them,  but  cast  them  out, 
or  to  banish  them  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  temple,  be- 
cause it  (the  court)  is  given  to  the  Gentiles,  because  God  de- 
livers this  wicked  multitude  to  be  punished  and  destroyed  by 
the  Gentiles,  that  is,  by  Anticlirist  and  his  cruel  and  barbarous 
troops.  The  execution  of  this  divine  judgment  commences  very 
soon.  For  now  Antichrist,  mad  with  fury,  declares  war  against 
the  whole  world,  resolves  to  be  sole  master,  to  spare  neither 
those  that  resist  him,  nor  those  who  have  given  him  any  pro- 
vocation, or  againsi  whom  he  has  conceived  an  ill  will. 
Actuated  by  Satan,  he  feels  no  more  sense  of  humanity,  and 
breathes  only  blood  and  destruction.  In  this  sitimtion  he  is 
in  some  measure  pictured  by  Nebuchodonosor,  that  haughty 
king  of  Assyria,  who  in  the  pride  of  his  heart  proclaimed 
"that  his  thoughts  were  to  bring  all  the  eartii  under  his  em- 
pire," Judith  ii.  3,  and  gave  orders  to  the  general  of  his 
armies:  "Go  out  against  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  west,  and 
against  them  especially  that  despised  my  commandment. 
Thy  eye  shall  not  spare  any  kingdom,  and  the  strong  cities 
thou  shalt  bring  under  my  yoke."    Ibid.  v.  5,  6.     This  war 

*  In  the  Greek,  the  punctuation  stands  thus  :  "  An.'l  measure  it  not,  be- 
cause it  is  given  unto  tlie  Gentiles,  and  the  holy  city,"  &c. 


■^. 


HISTORY  OP  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  255 

of  Antichrist,  the  most  bloody  of  all  wars  since  the  existence 
of  the  world,  as  in  it  are  killed  the  third  part  of  men,  Apoc. 
ix.  15,  will  last  three  years  and  a  half,  as  observed  before  from 
St.  John,  "and  power  was  given  hirn  to  do*  two  and  forty 
months,"  xiii.  5. 

Bat,  furthermore,  in  our  present  text  is  added  :>♦,"  And  the 
holy  city  they  shall  tread  under  foot  two  and  forty  months." 
No  sooner  has  the  haughty  monarch,  Antichrist,  declared  war 
against  mankind,  but  with  the  same  breath  he  proclaims  a 
general  persecution,  which  he  himself  intends  to  carry  on, 
and  despatches  his  orders  to  have  the  same  executed  in  every 
part  of  the  earth.  For  it  is  now  allowed  to  him  and  his 
bloody  agents  to  tread  under  foot  the  holy  city,  that  is,  the 
whole  body  of  the  holy  Christians,  for  forty-two  months,  or 
three  years  and  a  half  This  space  of  time  Christ  has  set 
apart,  to  purify  his  Church,  and  to  try  his  servants,  and  for 
that  purpose  allows  them  to  fall  under  the  power  of  this  mer- 
ciless tyrant:  "And  it  was  given  unto  him,"  says  St.  John, 
"  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them."  Apoc. 
xiii.  7.  We  are  admonished  of  the  same  by  the  prophet 
Daniel:  "  I  beheld,"  says  he,  "and  lo  that  horn  (Antichrist) 
made  war  against  the  saints,  and  prevailed  over  them,"  v  21. 
And  again,  "And  he  shall  speak  words  against  the  Most 

High,  and  shall  crush  the  saints  of  the  Most  High And 

they  shall  be  delivered  into  his  hand  until  a  time,  and  times, 
and  half  a  time."  Ibii.  v.  25.  The  period  of  the  persecution, 
Daniel  here  expresses  by  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time, 
that  is,  a  year,  two  years,  and  half  a  year,  or  three  years  and 
a  half,  the  same  with  St.  John. 

Antichrist  being  at  this  time  in  Jerusalem,  and  implacably 
irritated  against  the  Jews,  who  had  deserted  from  him,  looked 
upon  him  with  abomination,  and  had  espoused  the  Christian 
religion  which  he  hates,  he  resolves  to  begin  his  bloody  per- 
secution and  massacre  with  them.  Fie  therefore  sacrifices  to 
his  rage  the  above-mentioned  muUitude  of  a  hundred  fort3r-four 
thousand;  but  in  what  manner  we  are  not  tokl.  On  this 
striking  catastrophe  and  deluge  of  blood,  how  justly  may  the 
body  of  converted  Jews  that  remain,  send  up  to  heaven  their 
lamentations  and  cries  in  tliose  pathetic  strains  which  their 
forefathers  used  upon  the  destruction  and  havoc  made  by 
Nabuchodonosor,  a  figure  of  what  Antichrist  would  one  day 
do.     "  O  God,  the  heathens  are  come  into  thy  inheritance ; 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  to  make  war." 


256  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

they  have  defiled  thy  holy  temple ;  they  have  made  Jerusalem 
as  a  place  to  keep  fruit, 

"  They  have  given  the  dead  hodies  of  thy  servants  to  be 
meat  for  the  fowls  of  the  air,  the  flesh  of  thy  saints  for  the 
beasts  of  the  earth. 

"  They  have  poured  out  their  blood  as  water,  round  about 
Jerusalem  ;  and  there  was  none  to  bury  them."     Ps.  Ixxviii, 

Such  a  number  of  holy  victims,  doubtless,  breathed  forth 
from  the  earth  the  most  fragrant  odour,  and  were  so  acceptable 
to  the  heavenly  court,  that  immediately  St.  John  sees  them  in 
company  with  Christ,  and  their  triumph  celebrated. 

Chap.  xiv.  1.  "And  I  beheld,  and  lo  a  Lamb  stood  upon 
mount  Sion,  and  with  him  a  hundred  forty-four  thousand, 
having  his  name,*  and  the  name  of  his  Father,  written  on 
their  foreheads." 

Behold  the  Lamb,  that  is,  Jesus  Christ,  standing  surrounded 
with  this  numerous  multitude  upon  mount  Sion,  perhaps  the 
theatre  of  their  martyrdom.  They  are  distinguished  to  be 
the  same  body  of  people  we  saw  before,  prepared  for  the  com- 
bat by  the  angels  imprinting  the  sign  of  the  living  God  on 
their  foreheads ;  as  now  after  their  victory  they  appear  before 
the  Lamb  with  his  name,  and  the  name  of  his  Father,  written 
on  their  foreheads,  to  show  that  they  have  proved  themselves 
foithful  to  the  sign  they  had  recei.ved,  by  giving  testimony, 
wnth  their  blood,  both  to  the  Father  and  to  the  Lamb.  Per- 
haps also  did  they  carry,  before  their  martyrdom,  some  such 
inscription  on  their  foreheads,  in  opposition  to  the  mark  of 
Antichrist. 

V.  2.  "  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  noise  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  great  thunder:  and  the 
voice  which  I  heard,!  was  as  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  on 
their  harps. 

V.  3.  "  And  they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  canticle,  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  ancients ; 
and  no  man  could  say|  the  canticle,  but  those  hundred  foriy- 
four  thousand,  who  were  purchased  from  the  earth." 

Here  are  the  heavenly  choirs  celebrating  the  triumphs  of 
these  martyrs.  In  this  exultation  St.  John  hears  a  multitude 
of  voices  ;  a  voice,  like  that  of  many  waters,  that  is,  of  the 
angels  that  preside  over  all   the  nations,  denoted  by  many 

*  In  the  common  Greek  edition,  "his  name"  is  o'liitted,  but  it  is  found 
ni  many  anfient  manuscripts  of  ^reat  authority. 

t  In  the  Greek,  "  and  i  heard  the  voice  of  harpers,"  &c. 
*"  Could  h'iiru." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  2o7 

waters,  according  to  Apoc.  xvii.  15,  from  whence  the  Jews 
had  been  gathered  together ;  a  voice,  like  that  of  great  thun- 
der, or  of  the  a^^gel  that,  according  to  chap.  xiv.  18,  presides 
over  fire,  which,  as  employed  in  military  engines,  by  its  ex- 
plosion resembles  thunder ;  and  perhaps  by  such  thundering 
fire  were  these  champions  of  religion  put  to  death.  St.  John 
also  hears  the  "voice"  of  a  number  of  harpers  singing  a  new 
hymn  or  canticle,  which  no  one  could  learn  to  repeat  but  the 
144,000  martyrs.  This  special  privilege  is  owing  to  their 
peculiar  character,  as  having  been  through  former  ages  the 
chosen  and  beloved  people  of  God,  and  now  at  last  have  also' 
acknowledged  Christ,  the  Lamb,  for  their  Saviour  and  God, 
and  laid  down  their  lives  the  first  for  him.  He  by  his  own 
blood  had  "purchased  them  from  the -earth,"  that  is,  had  pur- 
chased for  them  these  singular  favours  of  conversion  and  mar- 
tyrdom, for  which  purpose  they  have  been  collected  from  all 
parts  of  the  earth.  This  melodious  jubilation  is  performed 
before  the  throne,  and  before  the  four  living  creatures  and  the 
ancients,  as  a  thanksgiving  homage  to  the  Almighty:  and  a 
kind  of  congratulation  to  the  four  great  prophets,  Isaiah,  Je- 
remy, Ezechiel,  and  Daniel,  who  had  prophesied  so  much 
concerning  the  Jews;  and  to  the  ancients  or  patriarchs  and 
other  saints  of  the  times  preceding  Christianity,  who  from 
their  former  connexion  with  the  Jews  and  the  expected  Mes- 
siah, are  particularly  interested  in  the  present  happy  condition 
of  the  converted  Jews. — St.  John  goes  on, 

V.  4.  "  These  are  they  who  were  not  defiled  with  women  : 
for  they  are  virgins.  These  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
he  goeth.  These  were  purchased  from  among  men,  the  first 
fruits  to  God  and  the  Lamb." 

These  martyrs  were  not  defiled  with  women,  but  are  vir- 
gins, because  they  never  yielded  to  adore,  either  the  dragon, 
or  the  beast,  Antichrist,  or  his  image,  as  multitudes  of  others 
did,  nor  polluted  themselves  with  any  species  of  idolatry, 
which  in  the  Apocalypse  and  other  books  of  scripture,  is 
styled  fornication  or  prostitution.  They  have  therefore  ac- 
quired a  right  to  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth; 
for  he  came  into  the  world  to  destroy  idolatry.  They  were 
likewise  purchased  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  from  among 
men,  from  among  all  the  rest  of  mankind,  to  be  the  first  fruits 
to  God  and  the  Lamb,  that  is,  the  first  victims  immolated 
to  God  and  the  Lamb,  in  Antichrist's  persecution.  Who  is 
not  sensible  what  a  distinguished  favour  this  will  be  to  the 
Jews?  That  as  they,  in  their  ancestors,  had  renounced  their 
22* 


258  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

divine  Messiah,  and  ev^en  put  him  to  death,  so  upon  their  cort" 
version  they  shall  redeem  that  enormous  crime,  by  spilling 
the  first  of  their  blood  for  him. 

V.  5.  "And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  lie:  for  they  are 
without  spot  before  the  throne  of  God."  They  had  practised 
no  dissimulation,  ^ut  openly  professed  the  Christian  religion 
in  the  presence  of  Antichrist  with  the  utmost  intrepidity,  and 
rejoiced  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  Him,  whom  they  had  so 
long  blindly  disowned  to  be  their  Saviour.  By  this  complete 
sacrifice  of  themselves  they  washed  off  all  guilt,  and  there- 
fore stand  without  spot  before  the  throne  of  God. 

The  prophet  Sophonias  seemed  to  announce  in  a  far  distant 
age  this  future  auspicious  sacrifice  of  the  converted  Jews,  and 
the  general  admiration  'it  would  raise  through  the  world.  "  I 
will  get  them  (the  Jews)  praise,  saith  the  Lord,  and  a  name, 
in  all  the  land,  where  they  had  been  put  to  confusion  ;  at  that 
time,  when  I  will  bring  you,  and  at  the  time  that  I  will  gather 
you.  For  I  will  give  you  a  name,  and  praise  among  all 
people  of  the  earth,  when  I  shall  have  brought  back  your 
captivity  before  your  eyes,  saith  the  Lord."   Sophon.  iii.  19,  20. 

Thus  then  the  Jews,  become  zealous  Christians,  will  sig- 
nalize their  fortitude  in  a  peculiar  manner,  and  will  be  distin- 
guished by  the  glorious  mark  of  being  the  first  victims  of 
martyrdom  offered  to  our  Saviour,  in  the  persecution  of  Anti- 
christ ;  in  the  same  manner  as  the  innocent  children  of  their 
forefathers,  put  to  death  by  Herod,  were  the  first  sacrifice 
made  to  Christ,  after  he  came  into  the  world.  And  as  those 
innocents  were  truly  virgins  in  a  natural  sense,  so  will  the 
converted  Jews  be  virgins  in  the  prophetic  meaning,  of  not 
being  defiled  by  any  kind  of  idolatrous  prostitution. — Thus 
again  we  see,  that  as  St.  Stephen,  a  converted  Jew,  was  the 
first  martyr  among  the  new-formed  Christians,  so  will  the 
converted  Jews  in  the  last  period  of  the  world,  and  in  the  last 
persecution,  appear  conspicuous  by  walking  foremost  in  the 
rank  with  the  palm  of  martyrdom. 

Antichrist  having  performed  the  above-recited  bloody  exe- 
cution at  Jerusalem,  prepares  next  to  march  his  army  of  two 
hundred  million  horsemen,  Apoc.  ix.  16,  with  design  to  lay 
waste  the  whole  earth,  and  to  extirpate  the  Christians.  But 
as  the  Almighty,  even  in  the  height  of  his  anger,  remembers 
mercy,  he  bountifully  forewarns  mankind  of  the  scourge  he 
is  going  to  let  loose  upon  them,  in  order  to  give  them  still  an 
opportunity  of  preventing  it  by  their  conversion  to  him.  Thus 
he  proclaims  the  impending  scourge  by  his  prophet  Sophonias. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  259 

Chap.  i.  14.  "  The  great  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  it  is  near, 
and  exceeding  swift :  the  voice  of  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  bit- 
ter, the  mighty  man  shall  there  meet  widi  tribulation. 

V.  15.  "  That  day  is* the  day  of  wrath,  a  day  of  tribulation 
and  distress,  a  day  of  calamity  and  misery,  a  day  of  darkness 
and  obscurity,  a  day  of  clouds  and  whirlwinds : 

V.  16,  "A  day  of  trumpet  and  alarm  against  the  fenced 
cities,  and  against  the  high  bulwarks. 

V.  17.  "And  I  will  distress  men,  and  they  shall  walk  like 
blind  men,  because  they  have  sinned  against  the  Lord  :  and 
their  blood  shall  be  poured  out  as  earth,  and  their  bodies  as 
dung. 

V.  18.  *'  Neither  shall  their  silver  and  their  gold  be  able  to 
deliver  them  in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lord :  all  the  land 
shall  be  devoured  by  the  fire  of  his  jealousy,  for  he  shall  make 
even  a  speedy  riddance  of  all  them  that  dwell  in  the  land." 

Then  the  Almighty  exhorts  them  to  avert  his  anger  by 
having  recourse  to  his  mercy. 

Chap.  ii.  1.  "Assemble  yourselves  together,  be  gathered 
together,  (to  implore  mercy,)  O  nation  not  worthy  to  be  loved. 

V.  2,  "Before  the  decree  bring  forth  the  day  as  dust  pass- 
ing away,  before  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  come  upon  you, 
before  the  day  of  the  Lord's  indignation  come  upon  you." 

As  if  this  was  not  a  sufficient  proof  of  God's  merciful  dis- 
position, he  is  pleased  to  send  a  second  pathetic  warning  of 
his  approaching  armies  by  his  prophet  Joel. 

Chap.  ii.  10,  "At  their  presence  the  earth  has  trembled, 
the  heavens  are  moved;  the  sun  and  moon  are  darkened,  and 
the  stars  have  withdrawn  their  shining. 

V.  11.  "  And  the  Lord  has  uttered  his  voice  before  the  face 
of  his  army:  for  his  armies  are  exceeding  great,  for  they  are 
strong  and  execute  his  word  :  For  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  very 
great  and  very  terrible:   and  who  can  stand  it?" 

Here  are  several  of  those  signs,  which  our  Saviour  fore- 
warns us  shall  happen  in  the  last  period  of  the  world.  These 
mentioned  here  are  sent  as  forerunners  announcing  the  coming 
of  the  destructive  army  of  Antichrist.  At  its  appearance  the 
earth  has  trembled,  says  Joel ;  or,  as  our  Saviour  says,  "  there 
shall  be  great  earthquakes."  Luke  xxi.  21.  "  The  heaven* 
are  moved:"  Christ  says,  "the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be 
moved."  Matt.  xxiv.  29.  "  The  sun  and  moon  are  darken- 
ed," continues  Joel,  "  and  the  stars  have  withdrawn  their 
shining ;"  and  Christ,  "  the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the 
moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from 


260  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

heaven."  Matt.  xxiv.  29.  This  is  the  voice  the  Lord  has 
uttered  before  the  face  of  his  army,  to  strike  terror  into  man- 
kind and  bring  them  to  themselves.  "  For  his  armies  are 
exceeding  great,"  said  Joel,  "  they  are  strong,  and  execute  hi.s 
word :   For  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  great  and  very  terrible : 

and  who  can  stand  it?" Again,  the  Almighty  throws  in 

another  energetic  exhortation  to  penance,  desirous  that  the 
scourge  may  be  taken  out  of  his  hand  before  he  strikes : 

V.  12.  "Now  therefore  saith  the  Lord,"  continues  Joel, 
"  be  converted  to  me  with  all  your  heart,  in  fasting,  and  in 
weeping,  and  in  mourning. 

V.  13.  "And  rend  your  hearts,  and  not  your  garments, 
and  turn  to  the  Lord  your  God :  for  he  is  gracious  and  mer- 
ciful, patient  and  rich  in  mercy,  and  ready  to  repent  of  the 
evil. 

V.  14.  "  Who  knows  but  he  will  return,  and  forgive,  and 
leave  a  blessing  behind,  sacrifice  and  libation  to  the  Lord 
your  God? 

V.  15.  "  Blow  the  trumpet  in  Sion,  sanctify  a  fast,  call  a 
solemn  assembly. 

V.  16.  "Gather  together  the  people,  sanctify  the  Church, 
assemble  the  ancients,  gather  together  the  little  ones,  and  them 
that  suck  at  the  breasts :  let  the  bridegroom  go  forth  from  his 
bed,  and  the  bride  out  of  her  bride-chamber. 

V.  17.  "Between  the  porch  and  the  altar  the  priests,  the 
Lord's  ministers,  shall  weep,  and  shall  say:  spare,  O  Lord, 
spare  thy  people ;  and  give  not  thy  inheritance  to  reproach, 
that  the  heathens  should  rule  over  them.  Why  should  they 
say  among  the  nations,  w^here  is  their  God?" 
•  These  divine  admonitions  not  prevailing  with  mankind, 
who  have  hardened  themselves  in  iniquity,  and  carried  it  to 
a  greater  pitch  than  was  ever  seen  in  any  former  period  of 
the  world,  the  Almighty  in  his  wrath  lets  loose  the  reins  to 
Antichrist.  This  devouring  beast  and  raging  tyrant  sets  out 
with  his  army,  to  ravage  and  desolate:  first,  the  country  of 
Judaea,  then  all  Christendom,  and  in  fine,  to  trample  under 
foot  all  the  powers  of  the  earth.  The  march  and  progress  of 
this  horrible  army,  with  the  havoc  it  makes,  is  described  in 
most  pathetic  and  lofty  strains  by  the  prophet  Joel.  The 
description,  indeed,  is  applied  by  some  commentators  to  a  vast 
swarm  of  devouring  insects  ;  by  others,  to  the  Chaldean  troops 
coming  against  Jerusalem  under  Nabuchodonosor ;  but  who- 
ever will  attentively  view  the  particulars  of  the  narrative,  will 
see  that  they  do  not  tally  with  either  of  those  cases,  but  agree 


HISTORV  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  261 

very  properly  with  the  army  of  the  Apocalypse. — Thus  cries 
out  Joel : 

Chap.  i.  2.  "  Hear  this,  ye  old  men,  and  give  ear  all  ye 
inhabitants  of  the  land:  did  this  ever  happen  in  your  days, 
or  in  the  days  of  your  fathers? 

V.  3.  "  Tell  ye  of  this  to  your  children,  and  let  your  child- 
ren tell  their  children,  and  their  children  to  another  gene- 
ration. 

V.  4.  "  That  which  the  palmer-worm  has  left,  the  locust 
has  eaten  ;  and  that  which  the  locust  has  left,  the  bruchus  has 
eaten ;  and  that  which  the  bruchus  has  left,  the  mildew*  has 
destroyed  (has  eaten.) 

V.  5.  "  Awake,  ye  that  are  drunk,  and  weep,  and  mourn, 
all  ye  that  take  delight  in  drinking  sweet  wine ;  for  it  is  cut 
off  from  your  mouth. 

V.  6.  "  For  a  nation  is  come  up  upon  my  land,  strong,  and 
without  number ;  his  teeth  are  like  the  teeth  of  a  lion :  and 
his  cheek  teeth,  as  of  a  lion's  whelp. 

V.  7.  "  He  has  laid  my  vineyard  waste,  and  has  pulled  off 
the  bark  of  my  fig-tree :  he  has  stripped  it  bare,  and  cast  it 
away:  the  branches  thereof  are  made  w^hite." 

The  four  insects,  palmer-worm,  locust,  bruchus,  and  grass- 
hopper, ver.  4,  represents  the  four  great  nations,  which  we 
saw  crossing  the  Euphrates,  to  form  Antichrist's  army.  As 
they  march  at  present  in  four  separate  bodies,  it  is  said  that 
what  one  leaves,  the  other  eats  up,  to  show  that  they  leave 
famine  behind  them  wherever  they  go. 

They  are  strong  and  without  number,  v.  6,  and  as  furious 
lions,  they  root  up  all  the  vineyards  and  fruit  trees,  v.  7,  after 
having  devoured  the  fruit. Joel  goes  on  : 

V.  8.  "  Lament  like  a  virgin  girded  with  sackcloth  for  the 
husband  of  her  youth. 

V.  9.  "  Sacrifice  and  libation  is  cut  off  from  the  house  ot 
the  Lord:  the  priests,  the  Lord's  ministers,  have  mourned. 

V.  10.  "  The  country  is  destroyed,  the  ground  hath  mourn- 
ed :  for  the  corn  is  wasted,* the  wnne  is  confounded,  the  oil 
hath  languished. 

V.  11.  '*  The  husbandmen  are  ashamed,  the  vine-dress^rs 
have  howled  for  the  wheat  and  for  the  barley,  because  the 
harvest  of  the  field  is  perished. 

V.  12.  "  The  vineyard  is  confounded,  and  the  fig-tree  hath 
languished  :  the  pomegranate-tree,  and  the  palm-tree,  and  the 

*  Most  interpreters  understand  the  Hebrew  word,  here  rendered  by  mil- 
dew, to  mean  a  species  of  grasshopper,  or  other  insect. 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

apple-tree,  and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  are  withered:  because 
joy  is  withdrawn  from  the  children  of  men. 

V.  17.  "  The  beasts  have  rotted  in  their  dung:  the  barns 
are  destroyed,  the  storehouses  are  broken  down :  because  the 
corn  is  confounded. 

V.  18.  "  Why  did  the  beasts  g-roan,  why  did  the  herds  of 
cattle  low?  because  there  is  no  pasture  for  them :  yea,  and 
the  flocks  of  sheep  are  perished." 

Here,  then,  the  corn,  wine,  oil,  and  fruit,  are  all  swept 
away  by  these  rapacious  wolves,  and  such  universal  devasta- 
tion and  desolation  overspread  the  land,  that  the  people  are 
reduced  to  lamentation,  famine,  and  despair,  v.  8,  the  priests 
have  not  even  bread  and  wine  sufficient  for  the  holy  sacrifice, 
V.  9,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  perish  for  want  of  food,  v.  1 7, 
18. Joel  continues. 

Chap.  ii.  1.  "  Blow  ye  the  tru.m.pet  in  Sion,  sound  an  alarm 
in  my  holy  mountain,  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  trem- 
ble: because  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  because  it  is  nigh 
at  hand. 

V.  2.  "A  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloominess,  a  day  of 
clouds  and  whirlwinds:  a  numerous  and  strong  people,  as 
the  morning  spread  upon  the  mountains:  the  like  to  it  hath 
not  been  from  the  beginning,  nor  shall  be  after  it  even  to  the 
years  of  generation  and  generation. 

V.  3.  "  Before  the  face  thereof  a  devouring  fire,  .and  behind 
it  a  burning  flame :  the  land  is  like  a  garden  of  pleasure  be- 
fore it,  and  behind  it  a  desolate  wilderness,  neither  is  there 
any  one  that  can  escape  it." 

At  the  approach  of  this  tremendous  army,  the  alarm  is 
sounded,  ver.  1,  2,  to  give  notice  that  the  day  of  the  Lord 
cometh,  the  day  of  darkness  is  nigh  at  hand,  that  is,  the  terri- 
ble day  of  the  wrath  of  God,  who  is  now  going  to  pour  out 
his  judgments  upon  mankind  in  a  more  severe  manner  than 
ever  before.  A  numerous  and  strong  people  comes,  ver.  2,  a 
prodigious  army  appears,  the  like  to  it  has  not  been  from  the 
beginning,  nor  shall  be  after  it  even  to  the  years  of  genera- 
tion and  generation,  which  shows  it  to  be  the  army  of  Anti- 
christ, the  most  numerous  that  has  been  or  will  be,  consistinir, 
according  to  St.  John,  of  two  hundred  million,  Apoc.  ix.  13. 
It  overspreads  the  land  ^\•ith  a  swiftness,  like  to  that  of  the 
aurora  or  morning  light  expanding  itself  over  the  tops  of  tha 
mountains,  ver.  2.  This  is  done  by  means  of  incorporeal 
devils,  that  make  part  of  this  army,  as  Ave  have  before  obser- 
ved.     Before  the  face  thereof  proceeds  a  burning  fire,  v.  3,  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  263 

fire  of  gunpowder  with  which  they  destroy  mankind :  and 
behind  it  a  devouring  flame,  arising  from  their  setting  fire  to 
every  thing  as  they  march,  and  thus  reducing  the  whole 
country  into  a  desert,  or  as  the  prophet  beautifully  expresses 
it,  the  land  is  like  a  garden  of  pleasure  before  it,  and  behind 
it  a  desolate  wilderness. 

V.  4.  "The  appearance  of  them,"  continues  Joel,  "is  as 
the  appearance  of  horses,  and  they  shall  run  like  horsemen. 

V.  5.  "  They  shall  leap  liK'e  the  noise  of  chariots  upon  the 
tops  of  mountains,  like  the  noise  cf  a  flame  of  fire  devouring 
the  stubbie,  as  a  strong  people  prepared  to  battle. 

V.  6.  "  At  their  presence  the  people  shall  be  in  grievous 
pain :  all  faces  shall  be  made  like  a  kettle." 

The  picture  here  drawn  of  the  army  is  similar  to  that  we 
saw  from  the  hand  of  St.  John.  Joel  does  not  say  the  army 
consists  wholly  of  cavalry,  but  the  appearance  of  them  is  as 
the  appearance  of  horses,  ver.  4,  including  the  artillery  or 
cannon  under  the  appearance  of  horses,  in  the  same  majiner 
as  St.  John  saw  them.  [See  page  230.)  The  carriages  of 
the  cannon,  as  they  are  drawn  up  the  mountains,  make  a  noise 
like  the  noise  of  chariots,  v.  5,  and  a  crackling  like  that  of  a 
flame  of  fire  devouring  stubble,  as  they  are  dragged  over  the 
stones  and  rocks.  These  carriages  are  moreover  said  to  leap 
up  upon  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  by  the  celerity  with  which 
the  hellish  spirits  move  them  forwards.  Consternation,  ter- 
ror, and  despair,  are  the  vanguard  of  such  an  army,  all  faces 
shall  turn  black  like  a  kettle  with  fear  and  dread,  v.  6. 

V.  7.  "  They  shall  run  like  valiant  men,"  continues  Joel, 
"like  men  of  war  they  shall  scale  the  wall:  the  men  shall 
march  every  one  on  his  way,  and  they  shall  not  turn  aside 
from  their  ranks. 

V.  8.  "  No  one  shall  press  upon  his  brother:  they  shall 
walk  every  one  in  his  path :  yea,  and  they  shall  fall  through 
the  windows,  and.  shall  take  no  harm. 

V.  9.  "  They  shall  enter  into  the  city:  they  shall  run  upon, 
the  wall,  they  shall  climb  up  the  houses,  they  shall  come  in 
at  the  windows  as  a  thief" 

Here  is  the  last  part  of  the  description  of  this  strange  army. 
Their  intrepidity  is  unparalleled.  They  run  upon  danger,  or 
scale  the  walls  of  fortified  towns,  without  the  least  concern, 
V.  7;  and  in  their  march  they  keep  their  ranks  without  press- 
ing one  another,  every  one  walking  in  security  in  his  path  with- 
out the  least  fear  of  enemies,  v.  7,  8.  Their  agility  is  such, 
that  they  come  in  at  the  windows  as  a  thief,  and  if  they  fall 


264  HISTORY  OF  TKE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

through  them,  they  take  no  harm,  v.  8,  9.  They  insinuate 
themselves  into  towns,  though  the  gates  be  shut;  they  run 
upon  the  walls,  as  upon  plain  ground  ;  they  get  upon  the  tops 
of  houses,  as  if  they  had  wings.  It  is  plain,  such  actions  are 
not  human  actions,  and  consequently  the  agents  are  not  men, 
but  infernal  spirits,  as  we  have  so  often  remarked.  At  the 
head,  then,  of  such  troops,  the  furious  tyrant  and  general  enemy 
of  mankind.  Antichrist,  carries  ravage  and  desolation  through 
the  land,  burns  the  cities,  reduces  the  strongest  fortresses  with- 
out difficulty,  and  levels  them  to  the  ground.  He  will  seem  to 
imitate  the  proud  and  haughty  king  of  Assyria,  Nabuchodo- 
nosor,  who  may  be  well  deemed  a  figure  of  him.  That 
monarch  said  to  his  general,  Holofernes :  "  Go  out  against  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  west,  and  against  them  especially  that 
despised  my  commandment.  Thy  eye  shall  not  spare  any 
kingdom,  and  all  the  strong  cities  thou  shalt  bring  under  my 
yoke."  Judith  ii.  5,  6  In  consequence  of  these  orders,  Holo- 
feruQS  "  went  forth,  he  and  all  the  army,  with  the  chariots, 
and  horsemen,  and  archers,  who  covered  the  face  of  the  earth, 
like  locusts. — He  came  to  the  great  mountains  of  Ange,  which 
are  on  the  left  of  Cilieia:  and  he  went  up  to  all  their  castlea, 
and  took  all  the  strong  places. — And  he  passed  over  the 
Euphrates,  he  came  into  Mesopotamia;   and  he  forced  all  the 

stately  cities  that  were  there. And  he  carried  away  all  the 

children  of  Madian,  and  stripped  them  of  all  their  riches,  and 
all  that  resisted  him  he  slew  with  the  edge  of  the  sword.  And 
after  these  things  he  went  down  into  the  plains  of  Damascus 
in  the  days  of  the  harvest,  and  he  set  all  the  corn  on  fire,  and 
he  caused  all  the  trees  and  the  vineyards  to  be  cut  down." 
Judith  ii.  11,  &c.  And  though  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities 
went  out  to  meet  him  and  make  their  submission,  "  they  could 
not  for  all  that  mitigate  the  fierceness  of  his  heart :  for  he  both 
destroyed  their  cities,  and  cut  down  their  groves.  For  Nabu- 
chodonosor  the  king  had  commanded  him  to  destroy  all  the " 
gods  of  the  earth,  that  he  only  might  be  called  God  by  those 
nations,  Vvhich  could  be  brought  under  him  by  the  power  of 
Holofernes."  Judith  iii.  1 1,  12,  13.  Here  is  an  imperfect  pic- 
ture of  the  proceedings  of  Antichrist,  who,  according  to  the 
accounts  above  given  of  Joel  and  St.  John,  will  far  surpass, 
in  rage  and  barbarity,  Holofernes  or  his  master  Nabuchodo- 
nosor.  Antichrist  will  have  a  more  powerful  and  pernicious 
instrument  in  hand,  namely,  gunpowder,  which  he  will  make 
so  much  use  of,  according  to  St.  John,  "  as  to  kill  the  third 
part  of  men  by  it."     Apoc.  ix.  18.     And  all  obstacles  seem 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  265 

to  vanish  before  him,  as  being  easily  removed  or  surmounted 
by  the  devils  that  attend  him :  for  the  dragon,  Satan*  gave  him 
his  own  strength,  or  his  own  armies.  Apoc.  xiii.  2.  All  this 
is  permitted  by  Almighty  God  in  his  wrath  for  the  execution 
of  his  judgments,  as  he  formerly  permitted  the  northern  bar- 
barous nations  in  like  manner  to  assist  Rome  for  a  while  with 
their  armies.  "  For  God  hath  o-iven  into  their  hearts,"  said 
St.  John,  "  to  do  that  which  pleaseth  him  :  that  they  gave  their 
kingdom  to  the  beast  till  the  words  of  God  be  fulfilled."  Apoc, 
xvii.  17.  The  iniquities  of  mankind  having  filled  up  their 
measure  at  this  period,  Antichrist  is  the  rod  of  punishment 
in  the  hand  of  God ;  who  therefore  alloAvs  him  an  extraordi- 
nary destructive  power,  such  as  had  never  been  permitted  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  any  mortal  before,  "And  power  was 
given  him,"  says  St.  John,  "over  every  tribe,  and  people,  and 
tongue,  and  nation."  Apoc.  xiii.  7. '  Thus  then  the  beast  be- 
comes irresistible,  and  with  the  feet  of  a  bear  and  the  mouth 
of  a  lion,  as  St.  John  says,  Apoc.  xiii.  2,  or  with  claws  and 
teeth  of  iron,  according  to  Daniel,  vii.  9,  the  beast  devours  the 
whole  earth,  treads  it  down,  and  breaks  it  in  pieces,  Dan.  vii. 
23.  Thus  we  see  how  fully  he  answers  the  character  given 
him  in  the  fourth  seal.  "  Behold  a  pale  horse,"  says  St.  John, 
"and  he  that  sat  on  him,  his  name  was  Death,  and  hell  follow- 
ed him.  And  power  was  given  to  him  over  the  four  parts  of 
the  earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  with  famine,  and  with  death,  and 
with  the  beasts  of  the  earth."  Apoc.  vi.  8.  And  thus  he  be- 
comes universal  monarch.* 

Both  the  ancients  and  moderns  speak  of  Antichrist  as  domi- 
neering over  the  whole  world.  Lactantius  says,  "  he  will  tor- 
ment the  world  with  an  insupportable  tyranny  "  Inst.  I.  7.  c. 
16.  Sulpitius  Severus  tells  us  he  had  heard  from  St.  Martin, 
that  "the  whole  earth  and  all  mankind  will  be  reduced  under 
the  power  of  Antichrist."  Dial.  2.  de  vita  S.  Mart.  St.  Jerom 
says,  that  "  Antichrist  will  reign  over  the  whole  world."  In 
Dan.  ix.  St.  Austin  and  St.  Flyppolytus,  martyr,  hold  the  same 
sentiment. 

Among  the  moderns,  Bellarmine,  Cornelius  a  Lapide,  and 
others,  speak  the  same  language. 

Several  of  the  preceding  articles,  relating  to  the  character 
and  actions  of  Antichrist,  being  also  intimated  to  us  with  other 

*  If  the  prince  of  darkness  be  allowed  an  insight  into  futurity  by  means 
of  the  prophecii-S,  he  may  have  suggested  to  the  Turkish  monarchs  the 
prophetic  motto  which  (hey  inscribe  upon  their  military  standard,  ''Donee 
totum  impleat  orhem,  till  it  fills  the  wtiole  earth." 
23 


266  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

particulars  in  a  passage  of  the  prophet  Daniel,  which  has  been 
applied  to  Antichrist  by  St.  Jerom,  Theodoret,  and  other  an- 
cient and  modern  interpreters,  we  shall  here  give  it. 

Chap.  xi.  36.  "  The  king,"  says  Daniel,  "  shall  do  accord- 
ing to  his  will,  and  he  shall  be  lifted  up,  and  shall  magnify 
himself  against  every  God:  and  he  shall  speak  great  things 
against  the  God  of  gods,  and  shall  prosper,  till  the  wrath  be 
accomplished.  For  the  determination  is  made."  Flere  is 
Antichrist's  power  of  doing  according  to  his  w'ill ;  here  is  his 
arrogance,  his  luciferian  pride,  his  rebellion  and  his  blasphe- 
mies against  the  Almighty,  just  as  St.  John  and  St.  Paul  have 
described  them.  And  it  is  added,  that  he  shall  prosper,  till 
the  wrath  be  accomplished,  that  is,  till  the  Almighty  has  exe- 
cuted, by  him,  his  judgments  upon  mankind  for  their  wicked- 
ness. For  the  determination  is  made;  for  such  is  the  decree 
of  heaven. 

V.  37.  "  And  he  shall  make  no  account  of  the  God  of  his 
fathers,"  continues  Daniel,  "and  he  shall  follow  the  lust  of 
women,  and  he  shall  not  regard  any  gods :  for  he  shall  rise 
up  against  all  things."  Antichrist  is  here  represented  as  an 
atheist,  and  addicted  to  lust. Daniel  proceeds, 

V.  38.  "  But  he  shall  worship  the  god  Maozim  in  his 
place:  and  a  god  whom  his  fathers  knew  not,  he  shall  wor- 
ship with  gold  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  things  of 
great  price."  Antichrist,  though  he  was  said  before  not  to 
regard  any  gods,  yet  he  worships  in  his  place,  or  privately, 
the  god  Maozim,  that  is,  the  god  of  fortresses ;  for  so  the 
word  Maozim  is  translated  by  Theodotion  and  Aquila,  by  the 
authors  of  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  versions,  and  by  Vatable  and 
others.  It  would  seem  that  Antichrist,  on  his  astonishing 
success  in  reducing  the  strong  holds  and  fortified  places,  be- 
yond that  of  any  conqueror  the  world  ever  saw,  will  acknow- 
ledge it,  but  not  publicly,  to  be  owing  to  the  aid  and  operation 
of  Satan,  who  attends  him,  and  whom  on  that  account  he  will 
privately  worship  with  gold  and  silver,  and  precious  stones, 
&-C.  under  the  name  of  the  god  of  fortresses.  That  such  will 
be  his  success  over  fortresses,  we  have  seen  in  the  prophecy 
of  Joel. — Lastly, 

V.  39.  "  And  he  shall  do  this  to  fortify  Maozim  with  a 
strange  god,  whom  he  hath  acknowledged,  and  he  shall  in- 
crease glory,  and  shall  give  them  power  over  many,  and  shall 
divide  them  the  land  for  nothing."  He  will  fortify  his  god 
Maozim  with  a  strange  god,  whom  he  hath  acknowledged, 
that  is,  with  another  infernal  spirit,  from  whom  he  acknow- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  267 

ledges  to  have  received  particular  assistance ;  probably  that 
spirit  which  attends  his  false  prophet  enables  him  to  perform 
such  extraordinary  feats  and  wonders  for  promoting  Anti- 
christ's credit  and  the  worship  paid  to  him.  And  he  shall 
increase  glory,  and  shall  give  them  power  over  many,  and 
shall  divide  them  the  land  for  nothing.  Here  the  Antichrist- 
ian  monarch  distributes  his  favours  to  his  partisans.  To  some 
.  he  gives  glory,  that  is,  title  and  pre-eminence ;  on  others  he 
confers  power  over  many,  that  is,  kingdoms,  or  governments 
of  provinces,  towns,  &c. ;  and  to  others  he  divides  the  land 
for  nothing,  giving  them  large  possessions  or  estates,  gratis. 
Thus,  in  quality  of  universal  monarch,  he  disposes  of  the 
earth,  of  dignities,  and  riches,  at  his  pleasure. As  a  pre- 
lude to  his  future  power  of  Antichrist,  may  not  the  devil  have 
suggested  to  the  Turkish  emperors  the  title,  which  they 
now  assume  by  anticipation,  of  "  Bestowers  of  all  earthly 
crowns?" — See  note,  p.  239. 

But  now  we  must  return  to  consider,  that  such  is  the  gene- 
ral and  dreadful  calamity  of  the  times  we  are  describing,  that, 
while  Antichrist  spreads  abroad  a  flood  of  desolation  and 
slaughter  by  his  army,  and  thus  becomes  the  instrument  of 
punishment  to  the  wicked,  he  is  to  be  understood  to  exercise 
at  the  same  time  a  most  sanguinary  persecution  against  the 
servants  of  God.  He  had  begun  it  with  putting  to  death 
144,000  converted  Jews.  But  now  the  four  winds  are  let 
loose,  which  we  saw  held  by  the  angels,  Apoc.  vii.  1,  and  they 
carry  with  their  innate  velocity  the  rage  of  persecution  into 
every  corner  of  the  globe.  Hell  and  earth  combine  ;  the  de- 
vil. Antichrist,  and  the  false  prophet,  confederate  together  to 
extirpate  Christianity.  They  set  all  engines  at  work,  to 
abolish  all  worship  of  God,  and  to  establish  idolatry.  St. 
Austin,  speaking  of  this  dreadful  period,  says :  "  This  perse- 
cution will  be  the  last,  it  will  happen  towards  the  approach 
of  the  last  judgment,  and  it  will  fall  upon  the  Church  in 
every  part  of  the  world  ;  that  is,  the  whole  city  of  Christ  will 
bo  persecuted  by  the  whole  city  of  the  devil,  as  far  as  both 
are  extended  upon  the  earth."  De.  Civ.  liv.  20.  c.  11.  The 
barbarous  tortures  employed  in  the  primitive  persecutions, 
are  revived,  and  new  ones  more  cruel  invented.  The  racks, 
torches,  gridirons,  fire,  and  other  instruments  of  torment,  are 
reproduced.  The  Christians  are  dragged  before  the  statue  of 
Antichrist,  which  if  they  refuse  to  adore,  certain  death  is 
their  punishment,  Apoc.  xiii.  15.  We  are  shocked  in  read- 
ing the  account  of  the  barbarities  used  by  Nero,  Domitiaii, 


268  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHUkCH. 

Dioclesian,  &c.  against  the  Christians,  but  these  will  be  much 
exceeded  by  the  cruelties  of  this  last  persecution.  Some  of 
those  Roman  emperors,  for  their  inexpressible  violence  against 
religion,  were  thought  by  a  part  of  the  Christians  to  be  Anti- 
christ ;  but  in  the  time  Ave  are  speaking  of,  the  Christians  will 
experience  the  rage  of  the  real  Antichrist,  to  which  nothing 
in  the  preceding  ages  will  have  been  found  equal.  He  is 
permitted  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them, 
as  St.  John  informs  us,  Apoc.  xiii.  7.  He  is  now  in  his  full 
career  of  power,  and  crushes  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  as 
Daniel  forewarned  us,  vii.  25.  This  ferocious  monster,  as  in 
his  war  he  seemed  to  imitate  the  cruel  tyrant  Nabuchodono- 
sor;  so  in  his  hatred  to  religion  he  resembles  the  impious 
Syrian  king,  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  who  by  the  Christian 
writers  has  been  alwa3'S  marked  out  as  the  figure  of  him. 
That  prince  was  an  avowed  enemy  to  the  worship  of  God, 
and  exercised  a  most  horrible  persecution  upon  the  Jews, 
inasmuch  that,  having  taken  the  city  of  Jerusalem  by  force 
of  arms,  he  commanded  the  soldiers  to  kill,  and  not  to  spare 
any  that  came  in  their  way,  and  to  go  up  into  the  houses 
to  slay. 

"  Thus  there  was  a  slaughter  of  young  and  old,  a  destruc- 
tion of  women  and  children,  and  killing  of  virgins  and  infants. 

"  And  there  were  slain  in  the  space  of  three  whole  days  four 
score  thousand,  forty  thousand  were  made  prisoners,  and  as 
many  sold. 

"  And  when  Antiochus  had  taken  away  out  of  the  temple 
a  thousand  and  eight  hundred  talents,  he  went  back  in  all 
haste  to  Antioch,  thinking,  through  pride,  that  he  might  now 
make  the  land  navigable,  and  the  sea  passable  on  foot:  such 
was  the  haughtiness  of  his  mind."     2  Mach.  v. 

Antiochus,  though  retired  out  of  the  country,  did  not  abate 
in  his  enmity  to  the  Jews.  For  he  sent  Apollonius  with  an 
army  of  twenty-two  thousand  men,  who  made  another  dread- 
ful slaughter  of  the  people  in  Jerusalem.     And, 

"  Not  long  after,"  continues  the  sacred  writer,  "  the  king 
sent  a  certain  old  man  of  Antioch,  to  compel  the  Jews  to  de- 
part from  the  laws  of  their  fathers  and  of  God :  and  to  defile 
the  temple  that  was  in  Jerusalem,  and  to  call  it  the  temple  of 
Jupiter  Olympius. 

"  And  there  went  out  a  decree — to  oblige  them  to  sacrifice, 
(to  the  idol  of  Jupiter  Olympius,)  and  whosoever  would  not 
conform  themselves  to  the  ways  of  the  heathens  should  be 
put  to  death."     2  iVlach.  vi.     Let  these  actions  of  Antiochus 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  269 

against  the  Jews  be  looked  upon  as  a  faint  draught  of  those 
violences  which  Antichrist  will  exercise  upon  the  Christians, 

But  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  and  to 
moderate  our  terror  at  the  sight  of  such  an  unexampled  per- 
secution, our  Saviour  himself  has  also  been  pleased  to  give 
us  previous  notice  of  it.  "  For  there  shall  be  then  great 
tribulation,"  says  he,  "  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world  until  now,  neither  shall  be.  And  unless 
those  days  had  been  shortened,  no  flesh  should  be  saved ;  for 
the  sake  of  the  elect  those  days  shall  be  shortened."  Matth. 
xxiv.  21,  22. — Happily,  amidst  this  frightful  prospect,  there 
shines  a  ray  of  comfort.  These  extreme  difficulties  and  rigor- 
ous trials,  this  w.ar  and  slaughter,  which,  if  continued,  would 
sweep  away  the  whole  race  of  mankind,  our  Saviour  informs 
us,  shall  be  shortened,  that  is,  contracted  to  the  compass  of 
three  years  and  a  half,  for  the  sake  of  the  elect,  or,  out  of  re- 
gard for  his  faithful  and  beloved  servants,  in  the  same  manner 
as  formerly  Almighty  God  offered  to  spare  the  wicked  city  of 
Sodom,  in  case  ten  just  men  could  be  found  in  it.  When 
mankind  are  brought  to  so  severe  a  test,  what  wonder  if,  in 
an  age  of  infidelity  and  irreligion,  numbers  give  up  their  faith 
in  Christ,  and  go  over  to  the  enemy,  the  beast,  and  adore  him 
as  a  god  ?  And  such,  we  learn  from  St.  John,  will  be  unhap- 
pily the  case.  "  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  adored 
him,  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life."  Apoc. 
xiii.  8. 

But  besides  what  we  have  seen  concerning  this  persecution, 
as  the  Almighty  has  judged  extraordinary  admonitions  neces- 
sary for  us  in  proportion  to  the  rigour  of  the  trial,  he  has 
vouchsafed  to  impart  to  us  a  further  account  of  it  by  his  pro- 
phet Daniel,  xii.  1.  "At  that  time,"  says  this  prophet,  "  shall 
Michael  rise  up,  the  great  prince,  who  standeth  for  the  child- 
ren of  thy  people :  and  a  time  shall  come  such  as  never  was 
from  the  time  that  nations  began  even  until  that  time.  And 
at  that  time  shall  thy  people  be  saved,  every  one  that  shall  be 
found  written  in  the  book."  Here  the  angel  tells  Daniel,  that 
at  the  time  of  the  terrible  persecution  of  Antichrist,  the  arch- 
angel Michael,  who  is  the  patron  of  the  Christian  Church,  as 
he  was  of  the  Jewish,  will  rise  up  to  the  succour  of  the  Christ- 
ians, and  fight  against  the  powers  of  hell  for  them,  in  the 
same  manner  as  we  saw  he  did  in  the  first  persecutions  under 
the  Roman  emperors,  Apoc.  xii.  7 ;  that  the  persecution  will 
also  be  such  as  never  was  from  the  time  that  nations  began 
even  until  that  time;  and  that  those  only  shall  be  saved  who 
23* 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

shall  be  found  written  in  the  book  of  life,  as  St.  John  has  just 
told  us;  which  indicates,  that  few  will  stand  the  trial  and  gain 
the  crown  of  martyrdom,  in  comparison  to  the  number  of  those 
who  will  give  up  the  cause. — Then  Daniel  asked, 

V.  6.  "  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these  wonders? 

V.  7.  "And  I  heard,"  says  he,  "the  man,  that  was  clothed 
in  linen,  that  stood  upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  had 
lifted  up  his  right  hand,  and  his  left  hand  to  heaven,  and  had 
sworn  by  Him  who  liveth  for  ever,  that  it  should  be  unto  a 
time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time." 

Here,  then,  the  answer  is  given  in  the  most  solemn  man- 
ner, and  God  called  to  witness,  (which  shows  the  importance 
of  the  thing,)  that  this  dreadful  period  will  last  for  a  time,  and 
times,  and  half  a  time,  or  three  years  and  a  half  That  by 
the  expression  of  a  time,  the  prophet  means  a  year,  appears 
from  another  passage,  where  the  same  prophet,  speaking  of 
the  sentence  the  Almighty  had  passed  upon  Nabuchodonosor, 
he  says:  "They  shall  cast  thee  out  from  among  men,  and 
thy  dwelling  shall  be  with  cattle  and  with  wild  beasts,  and 
thou  shalt  eat  grass  as  an  ox,. and  shall  be  wet  with  the  dew 
of  heaven  :  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee,  till  thou 
know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  over  the  kingdom  of  men, 
and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will,"  Dan.  iv.  22.  The 
seven  times  here  fixed  for  the  duration  of  that  proud  king's 
punishment  are  acknowledged  by  all  interpreters  to  m.ean 
seven  yt?ars.  The  same  period  of  three  years  and  a  half,  i  i 
we  have  before  observed,  is  given  to  the  persecution  by  St. 
John,  when  he  says  :  "  And  the  holy  city  they  shall  tread  un- 
der foot  two  and  forty  months."  Apoc.  xi.  2.  Here  it  is  ex- 
pressed in  months,  and  again  in  the  same  manner:  "and 
power  was  given  to  him  (Antichrist)  to  do  two  and  forty 
months."  Apoc.  xiii.  5.  We  likewise  see  the  same  period 
expressed  in  days  for  the  duration  of  Henoch's  and  Elias's 
preaching,  which  maybe  naturally  supposed  to  equal  the  time 
of  the  Church's  oppression:  "And  I  will  give  unto  my  two 
witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred 
and  sixty  da  v.*."  Apoc.  xi.  3.  In  fine,  Daniel,  speaking  of 
the  Church's  sufferings  at  this  time,  says:  "from  the  time 
when  the  continual  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,  and  the 
abomination  unto  desolation  shall  be  set  up,  there. shall  be  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days,"  xii.  1 1.  Upon  which 
St.  Jerom  writes  thus: — "Therefore  from  the  time  thatMhe 
continual  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,  and  that  Antichrist,^ 
being  master  of  the  world,  shall  prohibit  the  worship  of  God, 


rilSTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  271 

to  the  time  of  his  destruction,  there  will  be  three  years  and  a 
half,  that  is,  1290  days."  In  Dan.  xii.  There  can  then  be 
no  real  doubt,  that  the  time  of  Antichrist's  persecution  is  con- 
fined to  three  years  and  a  half,  or  1260  days,  and  not  extended 
to  1260  years,  as  some  moderns  have  pretended,  with  a  view 
of  calumniating  the  Catholic  Church.  For,  though  in  some 
particular  places  of  the  scriptures,  a  day  may  be  found  to  de- 
note a  year,  or  a  month  to  denote  a  month  of  years,  that  is, 
thirty  years,  or  a  week  to  signify  a  week  of  years,  or  seven 
years ;  yet  there  is  no  instance  of  a  period  of  time  mentioned 
in  scripture  under  the  three  denominations  of  years,  months, 
and  days,  that  is  not  to  be  taken  in  its  natural  sense.  Besides, 
the  nature  and  circumstances  of  the  case,  as  appears  from  the 
preceding  history,  evince  the  same ;  and  in  this  sense  it  has 
been  understood  by  the  fathers  of  the  Church.  "  That  the 
reign  of  Antichrist,"  says  St.  Chrysostom,  "  will  last  three 
years  and  six  months,  the  scripture  in  several  places  testifies, 
but  particularly  the  Apocalypse  of  St.  John."  Horn.  49.  in 
Matt.  24. — See  also  St.  Irenceus  adv.  Hccr.  I.  5.  c.  30.  St.  Cy- 
ril, Catech.  25.  S.  Hyppol.  de  consum.  sceculi,  St.  Austin  cle 
civ.  I.  20.  c.  25.     St.  Jerom,  Theodoret,  and  others. 

But  to  resume  the  instructions  given  to  Daniel  concerning 
this  interesting  time. 

Chap.  xii.  7.  "And  when  the  scattering,"  continues  he, 
"  of  the  band  of  the  holy  people  shall  be  accomplished,  all 
these  things  shall  be  finished."  That  is,  these  severe  trials 
and  calamities  will  be- put  an  end  to,  after  that  the  Christians 
shall  have  been  scattered  for  an  appointed  time,  by  flying  into 
deserts  and  caverns,  as  formerly,  for  shelter  from  the  face  of 
persecution.     But  in  the  mean  time, 

V.  10.  "Many  shall  be  chosen,  and  made  white,  and  shall 
be  tried  as  fire."  The  Christians  will  be  tried,  and  made 
white  or  purified,  as  silver  in  the  fire :  such  will  be  the  seve- 
rity of  the  persecution.  Conformably  to  Daniel  speaks  also 
the  prophet  Zachary  :  "  And  there  shall  be  in  all  the  earth, 
saith  the  Lord,  two  parts  in  it  shall  be  scattered,  and  shall 
perish :  but  the  third  part  shall  be  left  therein.  .  And  I  will 
bring  the  third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as 
silver  is  refined ;  and  I  will  try  them,  as  gold  is  tried,"  xiii. 
8,  9.  This  persecution  will  be  distinguished,  as  we  observed 
before,  by  seven  particular  scenes  more  shocking  than  the 
rest :  that  are  intimated  by  the  seven  thunders,  which  St.  John 
heard  speak,  but  w^as,  not  permitted  to  write  what  they  said, 
Apoc.  x  3,  4. — Daniel  proceeds, 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHtJRCH. 

V.  10.  "And  the  wicked  shall  deal  wickedly,  and  none  of 
the  wicked  shall  understand,  but  the  learned  shall  under- 
stand." The  wicked  therefore  will  make  no  advantage  of  the 
times,  but  will  continue  to  be  wicked,  through  hardress  of 
heart;  nor  will  the}?-  understand,  through  their  own  wilful 
blindness,  the  meaning  of  those  scourges  and  trials  sent  upon 
mankind:  whereas  the  learned,  who  are  truly  virtuous  and 
instructed  in  these  prophecies,  will  understand  the  reason  of 
the  divine  judgments,  and  will  turn  them  to  their  own  profit, 
and  to  the  gaining  of  an  immortal  crown. 

Notwithstanding  the  dreadful  aspect,  under  which  appears 
Antichrist's  persecution  according  to  the  preceding  account, 
we  should  not  however  be  dejected  or  dismayed.  Confidence 
in  the  mercies  and  providence  of  God  should  allay  our  fears 
and  support  our  fortitude.  That  all  bountiful  Being,  in  his 
severest  judgments,  never  forgets  mercy;  and  when  he  sends 
trials,  he  furnishes  assistance  proportioned  to  the  exigencies. 
We  have  already  seen  that  the  archangel  Michael  will  come, 
by  the  order  of  God,  to  the  defence  of  the  Christians,  and 
will  check  the  exorbitant  power  of  Satan.  Besides,  we  are 
assured  that  boisterous  storm  will  not  last  beyond  three  years 
and  a  half  But  the  principal  support  in  these  extreme  dis- 
tresses will  be,  the  abundant  graces  infused  by  the  Almighty 
into  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  which  w^ill  inspire  them  with 
the  most  heroic  fortitude  and  invincible  constancy.  These 
dispositions  will  also  be  nourished  and  animated  by  the  inces- 
sant preaching  of  the  ministers  of  God,  who  will  be  enabled 
to  enforce  their  exhortations  with  many  shining  miracles. 
Among  these  apostolic  labourers,  Henoch  and  Elias  will  sig- 
nalize their  zeal.  By  such  means  not  only  the  faithful  will 
be  supported,  but  many  conversions  made.  The  Church  there- 
fore at  this  period,  though  in  appearance  so  much  oppressed, 
will  shine  more  glorious  than  in  any  former  age,  by  the  num- 
ber of  Christian  champions,  who  will  not  fear  to  make  open 
profession  of  their  faith,  will  baffle  by  their  invincible  fortitude 
all  Antichrist's  arts  and  torments,  and  will  soar  in  triumph  to 
heaven  with  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 

It  would  seem  that  as  the  Christians  will  be  fully  instructed 
in  the  prophecies  relating  to  the  time,  some  of  them,  perhaps 
under  their  torments,  will  admonish  Antichrist  of  his  impend- 
ing fate ;  in  a  similar  manner  as  the  above-mentioned  king 
Antiochus  was  forewarned,  by  three  of  the  seven  Machabees 
whom  he  put  to  death,  of  the  divine  vengeance  that  would 
soon  overtake  him.     The  fifth  of  them,  in  his  tortures,  said  to 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  273 

Antiochus :  "  Whereas  thou  hast  power  among  men,  though 
thou  art  corruptible,  thou  dost  what  thou  wilt :  but  think  not 
that  our  nation  is  forsaken  by  God.  But  stay  patiently  a 
while,  and  thou  shalt  see  his  great  power,  in  what  manner  he 
will  torment  thee  and  thy  seed,"  2  Mach.  vii.  16,  17.  Anti- 
christ raging  with  fury  at  hearing  from  the  expiring  Christ- 
ians the  supreme  decree  which  dooms  him  with  all  his  men 
to  be  slain  by  Jesus  Christ  and  his  celestial  army  of  saints, 
he  resolves  upon  the  most  daring  and  most  impious  scheme, 
that  ever  entered  the  heart  of  man,  and  which,  by  the  concur- 
rence of  Satan  and  his  false  prophet,  he  puts  in  execution. 

Chap.  xvi.  13.  "And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "from  the 
mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and 
from  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet,  three  unclean  spirits  like 
frogs. 

V.  14.  "For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils  working  signs, 
and  they  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  whole  earth*  to  gather 
them  to  battle  against  the  great  day  of  the  Almighty  God." 
The  dragon  or  Satan,  the  beast  or  Antichrist,  and  the  false 
prophet,  send  forth,  each  of  them,  an  unclean  spirit  or  devil. 
These  they  depute  to  all  the  kings  and  potentates,  to  all  the  . 
great  and  little  states  of  the  earth,  to  gather  them  to  battle 
against  the  great  day  of  the  Almighty  God,  that  is,  to  engage 
them  to  assemble  their  troops  and  join  Antichrist,  who  has 
determined  to  encounter  with  the  omnipotent  God,  by  whom 
they  will  on  that  great  day  be  crushed  and  utterly  destroyed. 
What  audacious  temerity,  surely,  the  advice  of  Satan,  to  dare 
challenge  the  Almighty  to  battle  !  But  what  wonder  that  those 
proud  angels  who  had  rebelled  against  their  God  in  heaven, 
should  now  excite  mankind  to  a  similar  impiety  ?  These  three 
ambassadors,  spirits  of  devils,  conceal  themselves  under  human 
shapes,  and,  like  frogs,  which  are  amphibious,  proceed  both 
by  land  and  sea  to  every  state  on  the  continents  and  in  the 
islands,  and  by  their  power  of  working  signs  or  wonders,  im- 
pose upon  the  princes,  and  prevail  with  them  to  embark  in  the 
mad  desis^n  of  their  gfreat  master  Antichrist. 

The  earth  was  now  reeking  every  where  with  the  blood  of 
Christian  victims.  The  persecution  raged  with  the  utmost 
violence,  and  daily  swept  away  multitudes.  The  pastors  es- 
pecially are  picked  out  for  slaughter,  being  more  obnoxious  on 
account  of  their  zeal,  in  opposing  Antichrist,  in  animating  the 
Christians,  and  fortifying  them  under  their  conflicts.    And  this 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  inhabited 
world." 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

is  exhibited  to  us  with  strong  colours  by  the  prophet  Jeremy ; 
"Howl,  ye  shepherds,"  says  he,  "and  cry:  and  sprinkle 
yourselves 'with  ashes,  ye  leaders  of  the  flock:  for  the  days 
of  your  slaughter  and  dispersion  are  accomplished,  and  you 
shall  fall  like  precious  vessels.  And  the  shepherds  shall  have 
no  way  to  flee,  nor  the  leaders  of  the  flock  to  save  themselves," 
XXV.  34,  35.  But  this  persecution  was  to  be  distinguished  in 
a  particular  manner  by  the  martyrdom  of  the  two  great  mes- 
sengers of  Christ,  his  two  witnesses,  Henoch  and  Elias.  Their 
Saviour  and  master  had  assigned  them  1260  days,  or  three 
years  and  a  half,  to  prophecy  or  to  perform  the  function  of 
his  special  ministers ;  during  which  time  he  screened  them 
from  all  attempts  of  Antichrist  and  other  enemies.  But  that 
period  being  now  elapsed,  he  withdraws  that  special  protection 
from  them,  and  requires  that  they  shall  finish  their  work  by 
sealing  it  with  their  blood.  He  therefore  delivers  them  over 
into  the  power  of  Antichrist. 

Chap.  xi.  7.  "  And  when  they  (the  two  witnesses)  shall 
have  finished  their  testimon}?-,"  says  St.  John,  "the  beast,  that 
ascendeth  out  of  the  abyss,  shall  make  war  against  them,  and 
shall  overcome  them  and  kill  them."  Henoch  and  Elias  then 
having  finished  their  testimony,  or  time  appointed  them  to 
give  testimony  to  Christ  by  their  preaching,  they  are  to  be 
put  to  death  by  order  of  Antichrist,  who  is  impelled  to  it  by 
Satan,  the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  abyss,  or  bottom- 
less pit. 

V.  8.  "  And  their  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  streets  of  the  great 
city,  which  is  called,  spiritually,  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where 
their  Lord  also  was  crucified."  Their  dead  bodies  lie  exposed 
in  the  streets  of  the  great  city,  which  is  Jerusalem,  as  appears 
by  what  is  added,  where  their  Lord  was  crucified ;  and  our 
Saviour  had  said:  "  it  cannot  be  that  a  prophet  perish  out  of 
Jerusalem."  Luke  xiii.  33.  Jerusalem  is  styled,  spiritually  or 
mystically,  Sodom  and  Egypt:  Sodom,  because,  as  that  city  was 
burned  by  fire  from  heaven  for  its  iniquities,  so  was  Jerusalem 
doomed  by  heaven  to  be  burned  by  the  Romans  in  consequence 
of  its  crucifying  its  Lord.  Jerusalem  is  also  styled  Egypt,  in 
allusion  to  the  persecutions  the  Jews  suffered  under  the  Pha- 
raohs in  Egypt,  and  which  they  will  suffer  in  a  more  severe 
manner  at  Jerusalem  under  Antichrist. 

V.  9.  "  And  they  of  the  tribes,  and  peoples,  and  tongues, 
and  nations,  shall  see  their  bodies  for  three  days  and  a  half: 
and  they  shall  not  suffer  their  bodies  to  be  laid  in  sepulchres. 

V.  10.  "And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  275 

over  them,  and  make  merry:  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  an- 
other, because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwelt 
.upon  the  earth.  For  three  days  and  a  half  the  bodies  of  He- 
noch and  Elias  will  remain  exposed  to  the  sioht  of  an  infinite 
multitude  of  people  from  all  nations  of  the  earth,  who  will  be 
then  in  Jerusalem  :  nor  will  they  suffer  the  bodies  to  be  buried, 
ior  the  hatred  they  will  have  conceived  to  the  two  holy  pro- 
phets. Those  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  or  the  bad  sort  of  peo- 
])le,  will  every  where  rejoice  at  their  death,  and  will  send 
presents  to  congratulate  one  another  o\j  being  freed  from  such 
importunate  preachers,  and  from  the  dreadful  effects  of  their 
miraculous  powers.     But, 

V.  11.  "And  after  three  days  and  a  half,"  continues  St. 
John,  "  the  spirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them.  And  they 
Siood  upon  their  feet,  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  that  saw 
them. 

V.  12.  "  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying 
to  them:  come  up  hither.  And  they  went  up  to  heaven  in  a 
cloud;  and  their  enemies  saw  them."  Here  we  see  the  Al- 
mighty hand  raising  the  two  dead  heroes  to  life  ;  and  they  are 
called  to  the  reward  of  their  labours,  a  happy  immortality; 
their  enemies  seeing  them  with  astonishment  mount  into  hea- 
ven.     In  fine, 

V.  13.  "And  at  that  hour  there  was  made  a  great  earth- 
quake, a:«d  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell;  and  there  were 
slain  in  the  earthquakes  names  of  men  seven  thousand:  and 
the  rest  were  cast  into  fear,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of 
heaven."  At  the  time  that  the  two  resuscitated  martyrs  will 
ascend  to  heaven,  an  earthquake  will  happen, v^hich  will  throw 
down  a  tenth  part  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  destroy  seven 
thousand  of  Antichrist's  adherents,  who  deserve  no  more  than 
the  mere  name  of  men.  Bat  those  that  remain  will  be  struck 
with  terror,  will  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  in 
this  dreadful  event,  and,  deserting  the  wicked  party,  will  be 
converted  to  God.  Such  will  be  the  glorious  triumph  of  He- 
noch and  Elias.  It  will  happen  some  time  before  the  close 
of  the  persecution;  because  the  period  of  their  ministry  is 
the  same  in  length  with  that  of  the  persecution,  viz.  three 
years  and  a  half,  and  they  had  employed  some  share  of  their 
time  in  converting  the  Jews  before  the  persecution  commenced. 

Whether  some  nations  of  Africa  will  revolt  from  the  do- 
minion of  the  Antichristian  tyrant,  or  whatever  else  will  be 
the  provocation,  it  seems  that  he  will  himself  also  carry  his 
arms  into  that  country.     This  appears  from  a  passage  of  the 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

prophet  Daniel,  which  St.  Jerom  and  some  other  ancient  in- 
terpreters have  so  understood. 

Chap.  xi.  40.  "And  at  the  time  prefixed,"  says  Daniel, 
*'  the  king  of  the  south  (the  king  of  Egypt)  shall  fight  against 
him,  and  the  king  of  the  north  (Antichrist)  shall  come  against 
him  like  a  tempest,  with  chariots,  and  with  horsemen,  and  with 
a  great  navy,  and  he  shall  enter  into  the  countries,  and  shall 
destroy,  and  pass  through. 

V.  41.  "And  he  shall  enter  into  the  glorious  land,  and 
many  shall  fall :  and  these  only  shall  be  saved  out  of  his 
hand,  Edom  and  Moab,  and  the  principality  of  the  children  of 
Ammon. 

V.  42.  "  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  lands :  and 
the  land  of  Egypt  shall  not  escape. 

V.  43.  "  And  he  shall  have  power  over  the  treasures  of 
gold,  and  of  silver,  and  all  the  precious  things  of  Egypt:  and 
he  shall  pass  through  Lybia  and  Ethiopia."  During  these 
exploits. 

V.  44.  "  And  tidings  out  of  the  east,  and  out  of  the  north 
shall  trouble  him  :  and  he  shall  come  with  a  great  multitude 
to  destroy  and  slay  many."  Antichrist  will  be  alarmed  with 
tidings  out  of  the  east  and  out  of  the  north,  probably  of  na- 
tions revolting  against  him,  as  the  sixth  age  is  full  of  such 
confusion,  according  to  that  of  our  Saviour :  "  Nation  shall 
rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom."  Matt, 
xxiv.  7.  The  exasperated  tyrant  will  therefore  leave  Africa, 
and  proceed  with  his  prodigious  army  into  Asia,  the  provinces 
of  which  lie  to  the  east  and  north  of  Egypt,  and  there  he  will 
destroy  and  slay  many.  He  is  yet  in  the  full  gale  of  pros- 
perity, and  therefore  will  bear  down  all  before  him.  Among 
his  present  Asiatic  expeditions,  it  seems  he  will  vent  his  rage 
a  second  time  against  Jerusalem.  Provoked,  perhaps,  that 
such  a  number  of  his  partisans  had  perished  in  the  earth- 
quake which  happened  at  the  triumph  of  Henoch  and  Elias, 
and  that  the  rest  had  deserted  him  to  become  the  servants  of 
God,  he*  will  lay  siege  to  Jerusalem,  and  take  it,  as  we  learn 
from  the  prophet  Zachary. 

Chap.  xiv.  I.  "Behold  the  days  of  the  Lord  shall  come, 
and  thy  spoils  shall  be  divided  in  the  midst  of  thee. 

V.  2.  "  And  I  will  gather  all  nations  to  Jerusalem  to  bat- 
tle, and  '^he  city  shall  be  taken,  and  the  houses  shall  be  rifled, 
and  the  w^omen  shall  be  defiled :  and  half  of  the  city  shall 
go  forth  into  captivity,  and  the  rest  of  the  people  shall  not  be 

•  Or  one  of  his  generals. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  277 

taken  away  out  of  the  city."  On  this  occasion  the  prophet 
informs  us  that  some  Jews  will  be  found  in  Antichrist's  army ; 
for  he  says,  v.  14,  "And  even  Juda  shall  fight  against  Jeru- 
salem," 

Antichrist  thus  goes  on,  regaling  himself  with  the  destruc- 
tion and  havoc  he  makes  every  where,  and  drenching  himself 
with  the  blood  of  martyrs.  But,  notwithstanding  all  the 
miseries  of  war,  famine,  pestilence,  &c.  that  at  this  period  like 
a  torrent  poured  in  upon  mankind,  notwithstanding  the  un- 
paralleled tyranny  of  the  furious  beast,  notwithstanding  that 
these  excessive  calamities  are  known  to  proceed  from  the 
avenging  justice  of  an  angry  God ;  still,  who  would  believe 
it !  the  wicked  remain  incorrigible,  and  those  that  have  b&sely 
sunk  into  the  abomination  of  idolatry,  take  not  warning  to  re- 
trieve themselves,  but  continue  hardened  in  their  iniquity.  For 
thus  speaks  St.  John, 

Chap.  ix.  20.  "And  the  rest  of  the  men,  who  were  not  slain 
by  these  plagues,  did  not  do  penance  from  the  works  of  their 
hands,  that  they  should  not  adore  devils,  and  idols  of  gold  and 
silver  and  brass  and  stone  and  wood,  which  neither  can  see, 
nor  hear,  nor  walk. 

V.  21.  "  Neither  did  they  penance  from  their  murders,  nor 
from  their  sorceries,  nor  from  their  fornications,  nor  from  their 
thefts." 

Antichrist  having,  by  the  strength  of  his  armies  and  by  the 
assistance  of  l-he  infernal  associates,  borne  down  all  opposition, 
we  may  now  view  him  raised  up  to  the  pinnacle  of  human  glo- 
ry, to  the  summit  of  power.  He  reigns  the  greatest  monarch 
the  world  ever  saw,  and  a  short  period  of  time  has  carried  him 
through  all  his  conquests,  and  placed  him  upon  a  throne  that 
commands  the  whole  earth.  He  has  prevailed  upon  or  com- 
pelled a  great  part  of  mankind  to  adore  him  as  a  god,  and  of 
those  that  refused  he  has  sacrificed  an  infinite  number  to  his 
rage  and  jealousy.  But,  unhappy  being  !  now  approaches  the 
period  which  the  Supreme  Being,  the  Almighty,  has  fixed  to 
his  dominion.  The  three  years  and  a  half  allowed  him  to 
tyrannize  over  mankind,  are  now  expiring.  And  it  had  been 
pronounced  :  "judgment  shall  sit,  that  his  power  may  be  taken 
away,  and  be  broken  in  pieces,  and  perish  even  to  the  end." 
Dan.  vii.  25.  Intoxicated  however  with  pride  and  power,  and 
stimulated  by  Satan,  he  pursues  his  former  resolution  to  suflfer 
no  rival,  but  to  contend  for  superiority  with  the  Sovereign  of 
heaven,  contemning  what  he  had  heard  fK)m  the  Christians, 
that  all  pov/er  shall  be  wrested  from  him  by  Christ,  and  him- 
24 


278  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

self  laid  in  the  dust.  In  this  view  he  proposes  to  cope  witli 
Christ  and  all  his  heavenly  attendants,  by  a  proportionable 
army  assembled  from  the  whole  earth  by  the  three  evil  spirits 
that  had  been  sent,  as  we  have  seen,  for  that  purpose.  His- 
thoughts  are  now  wholly  bent  upon  preparations  for  this  daring 
encounter.  He  therefore  drops  the  persecution,  and  ceases 
the  war. — And  now  the  second  wo  is  past,  that  is,  the  peTse- 
cution  and  war  of  Antichrist :  and  behold  the  third  wo,  or  day 
of  judgment,  will  com^  quickly,  Apoc.  xi.  14.  Here  the  pro- 
phet Daniel  pronounces :  "  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth,  and 
Cometh  unto  a  thousand  three  hundred  thirty-five  days,"  xxii. 
12.  He  had  said  in  the  preceding  verse :  "  from  the  time, 
whea  the  continual  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,"  p.nd  the 
abomination  unto  desolation  be  set  up,  "there  shall  be  a  thou- 
sand two  hundred  ninety  days."  These  1290  days,  which 
are  dated  from  the  time  of  Antichrist  setting  himself  up  for 
God  and  forbidding  all  Christian  worship,  now  expire  with 
the  close  of  his  persecution;  and  that  number  being  taken 
from  1^35,  there  remain  45  days  from  the  close  of  his  perse- 
cution to  the  day  of  his  destruction:  and  therefore  Daniel 
pronounces  him  blessed  who  lives  to  see  that  day.  This  space 
of  45  days  Antichrist  employs  in  collecting  together  all  his 
armies. 

We  may  on  our  sides  employ  a  share  of  this  time  in  taking 
a  view  of  the  great  body  of  martyrs,  the  glorious  victims  of 
this  persecution.  To  separate  the  good  from  the  had  members^ 
Christ  has  subjected  his  Church  to  the  severest  trial  she  ever 
underwent,  and  streams  of  holy  blood  have  been  flowing  to 
appease  the  divine  anger  irritated  against  mankind  for  the  ex- 
cess of  their  wickedness.  St.  John  thus  exhibits  to  us  the 
sight  he  was  favoured  with  of  that  blessed  company,  after  they 
were  crowned. 

Chap.  vii.  9.  "  After  this  I  saw  a  great  multitude,  which 
no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  tribes,  and  peoples, 
and  tongues :  standing  before  the  throne,  and  in  sight  of  the 
Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes  and  palms  in  their  hands.'' 
A  numberless  multitude  appears  to  St.  John,  consisting  of 
people  of  all  nations  from  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  clothed 
in  white  robes  in  token  of  their  present  bliss,  and  with  palms 
in  their  hands,  the  known  emblems  of  victory.  In  this  attire 
they  are  presented  before  the  throne,  and  the  Lamb. 

V.  10.  "And  they  cried  Vvith  a  loud  voice,  saying:  salva- 
tion to  our  God  who  sittcth  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb." 
They  break  forth  into  loud  acclamations,  saying  :  "  Salvation 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  279 

(or  victory)  to  our  God  who  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  to 
the  Lamb,"  victory  and  triumph  to  the  Almighty  and  to  our 
Saviour  over  their  enemies. 

V".  1 1.  "  And  ail  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne, 
and  the  ancients,  and  the  four  living  creatures:  and  they  fell 
down  before  the  throne  upon  their  faces,  and  adored  God. 

V.  12.  "Saying:  Amen.  Benediction,  and  glory,  and  wis- 
dom, and  thanksgiving,  honour,  and  power,  and  strength  to 
our  God  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen."  The  angels  here  join 
in  the  profoundest  homage  to  Almighty  God.  They  acknow- 
ledge and  praise  his  providential  dispensations  to  his  Church, 
on  ear^h,  with  the  seven  same  expressive  terms,  except  one 
which  were  applied  to  the  Lamb.   Apoc.  v.  12. 

These  terms  of  acclamation  to  the  Almighty  are:  Benedic- 
tion or  praise  for  the  immortal  bliss  he  imparts  to  his  saints: 
Glory,  that  is  reflected  upon  him  for  his  bountiful  admonitions 
to  mankind,  conveyed  by  extraordinary  signs  and  threaten 
ing  prodigies  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth :  Wisdom,  in 
raising  up  kingdoms  and  demolishing  others  according  to  the 
Avise  determination  of  his  justice  :  Thanksgiving,  for  his  pro- 
tection of  the  Church  against  tht  power  of  heresy  and  schism* 
Honour,  which  he  receives,  from  the  glorious  conflicts  and 
victory  of  his  martyrs :  Power,  which  he  has  so  fully  mani- 
fested in  subduing  the  world  by  the  word  of  his  gospel :  and 
Strength,  which  he  exhibits  in  his  terrible  scourges  upon  the 
wicked  part  of  his  people.     St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  13.  "And  one  of  the  ancients  answered,  and  said  to 
me  :  these  that  are  clothed  in  white  robes,  who  are  they  ?  and 
whence  came  they  ? 

V.  1 4.  "  And  I  said  to  him.  My  Lord,  thou  knowest.  And 
he  said  to  me :  these  are  they  who  are  come  out  of  great* 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  have  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  St.  John  not  know- 
ing in  particular  what  that  holy  troop  was,  is  here  informed 
that  they  came  from  the  great  tribulation,  that  is,  from  the 
great  persecution  of  Antichrist,  and  that  they  have  washed 
their  robes,  and  have  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  :  they  have  washed  them  by  martyrdom,  and  they  have 
made  them  white  by  entering  into  glory,  both  which  favours 
were  purchased  to  them  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

V.  15.  "  Therefore  they  are  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
they  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple  :  and  he,  that 

♦In  tho  Greek,  "  the  great  tribulation." 


280  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

sitteth  on  the  throne,  shall  dwell  over  them."  The  martyrs 
are  placed  in  the  presence  of  their  God,  to  whom  they  offer 
constant  homage  and  adoration:  and  he  will  dwell  over  them, 
by  infusing  the  joy  of  beatitude  into  their  souls,  and  being 
their  liberal  Lord  and  gracious  governor  forever, Lastly, 

V.  16.  "  They  shall  no  more  hunger  and  thirst,  neither 
shall  the  sun  fall  on  them,  nor  any  heat. 

V,  17.  "  For  the  Lamb,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
shall  rule*  them,  and  shall  lead  them  to  the  fountains  of  the 
waters  of  life,  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes."  Their  afflictions  and  hardships  are  now  all  over. 
They  are  now  promised  to  be  no  more  subject  to  the  tor- 
ments or  sufferings  the}''  have  undergone,  either  from  hunger 
or  thirst,  or  from  the  sun  or  any  heat  falling  upon  them,  that 
is,  from  any  sort  of  fire,  natural  or  artificial ;  many  of  them 
having  probably  been  famished  to  death,  others  burned,  and 
others  shot.  On  the  contrary,  their  bodies  after  the  general 
resurrection  will  enjoy  a  most  pure  and  perpetual  feast,  in 
being  fed  by  the  Lamb  and  refreshed  by  the  most  pleasant 
living  waters,  in  such  manner  as  is  suitable  to  their  glorified 
state.  Before,  St.  John  saic ;  they  are  before  the  throne  of 
God,  &c.  to  indicate  the  happiness  of  their  souls  immediately 
after  their  passage  to  the  other  life  :  But  here  he  says  :  they 
shall  n^  more  hunger  and  thirst,  &c.  to  denote  the  future 
period  after  the  general  resurrection,  when  their  bodies  which 
were  associated  in  the  hardships,  will  likewise  enjoy  their 
share  of  beatitude.  Furthermore,  one  may  here  observe  the 
suppression  of  the  word  "  and,"  which  is  so  constantly  re- 
peated through  the  Apocalypse.  In  verse  the  15th  was  ex- 
pressed the  beatitude  of  the  soul,  and  in  verse  the  16th  that  of 
the  bod}'-:  the  disparity  of  these  two  beatitudes  could  not  well 
admit  of  the  conjunctive  particle  and,  while  the  terms  of  soul 
and  body  were  not  expressed. — And  God  will  wipe  away 
their  tears  of  sorrow  :  by  filling  them  with  the  abundance  of 
the  sweetest  joy  and  most  perfect  happiness  for  all  eternity. 

On  the  expiration  of  the  forty-five  davs  above-mentioned, 
Antichrist  having  collected  together  all  the  forces,  assembled 
by  the  three  evil  .spirits  who  "  had  gone  forth  unto  the  king 
of  the  whole  earth  to  gather  them  to  battle  against  the  great 
day  of  ihe  Almighty  God,"  Apoc.  xvi.  14,  he  encamps  them 
in  the  valley  of  Josaphat,  between  Jerusalem  and  Mount  Oli- 
vet,  and  pitches   his  own  tent  on  that  mountain.     He   had 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  shall  feed  them." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  281 

probably  been  forewarned  by  the  Christians,  that  this  would 
be  the  theatre  of  his  destruction,  and  therefore  he  chooses  it  in 
defiance  of  heaven.  That  this  will  be  really  the  place,  we 
seem  to  learn,  first,  from  St.  John,  who,  after  the  words  just 
above  cited,  adds :  "  And  he  shall  gather  them  together,  into 
a  place,  which  in  Hebrew  is  called  Armagedon."  Apoc.  xvi. 
16.  The  word  Armagedon  is  interpreted  the  mountain  of 
fruits,  which  may  indicate  the  mountain  of  Olives.  The  same 
is  pointed  out  by  the  prophet  Daniel,  who  speaks  thus : 
"  And  he  shall  fix  his  tabernacle  Apadno  between  the  seas, 
upon  a  glorious  and  holy  mountain  ;  and  he  shall  come  even 
to  the  top  thereof"  and  none  shall  help  him,"  xi.  45.  Anti- 
christ will  fix  his  tabernacle  Apadno,  that  is,  his  magnificent 
tent,  called  Apadno,  upon  a  mountain,  viz.  Mount  Olivet, 
which  has  been  made  glorious  and  holy  by  the  Ascension  and 
other  sacred  transactions  of  our  Saviour,  and  stands  between 
the  Mediterranean  and  Dead  Seas.  There  he  will  arrogantly 
fix  his  standard,  but  none  will  be  able  to  help  him  against  the 
power  of  the  Almighty. 

We  have  likewise  in  the  prophet  Joel,  not  only  express 
mention  of  the  same  place  of  encampment,  but  also  a  remark- 
able description  of  the  assembling  of  this  army  and  its  im- 
pending fate. 

Chap.  iii.  1.  "  For  behold,"  says  the  Lord,  "  in  these  days 
and  in  that  time  when  I  shall  bring  back  the  captivity  of  Judea 
and  Jerusalem. 

V.  2.  "I  will  gather  together  all  nations,  and  will  bring 
them  down  into  the  valley  of  Josaphat."*  The  Almighty  then 
says  that,  soon  after  he  shall  have  brought  back  the  Jews 
from  their  captivity,  an  event  we  have  before  related,  he  will 
collect  all  nations  into  the  valley  of  Josaphat,  the  place  in- 
sinuated by  St.  John  and  Daniel. — The  Almighty  continues 
to  speak, 

V.  2.  "  And  I  will  plead  with  them  there  for  my  people 
and  my  inheritance  Israel,  whom  they  have  scattered  among 
the  nations,  and  have  parted  my  land. 

V.  3.  "And  they  have  cast  lots  unto  my  people:  and  the 
boy  they  have  put  in  stews,  and  the  girl  they  have  sold  for 
wine  that  they  might  drink,"  &c.  &c.  The  Almighty 
will  there  plead  with  them  or  reprove  them  for  the  injuries 
they  have  done  to  his  people  the  Christians,  and  to  his  inherit- 
ance the  Israelites,  during  the  tyranny  of  the  Antichristian 

*  Josaphat  signifies  the  judgment  of  the  Lord. 
24* 


282  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

power.  He  proceeds  to  enumerate  several  of  those  injuries, 
which  he  declares  he  will  retaliate  upon  them.  After  which 
he  continues, 

V.  9.  "  Proclaim  ye  this  among  the  nations  :  prepare  war, 
raise  up  the  strong :  let  them  come ;  let  all  the  men  of  war 
come  up. 

V.  10.  *' Cut  your  ploughshares  into  swords,  and  your 
spades  into  spears.      Let  the  weak  say  :   I  am  strong. 

V.  11.  "Break  forth,  and  come,  all  ye  nations  from  round 
about,  and  gather  yourselves  together."  Here  the  Almighty 
challenges  them  to  battle;  after  which  he  pronounces, 

V.  12.  "  There  will  the  Lord  cause  all  thy  strong  ones  to 
fall  down."  There  Avill  the  Lord,  the  Almighty  Son  of  God, 
crush  thee,  O  Antichrist,  and  all  thy  strong  men.  Hitherto 
God  had  spoken  to  them  altogether,  challenging  them  to  bat- 
tle; but  here  he  suddenly  changes  his  discourse,  and  address- 
es solely  their  commander.  Antichrist:  there  will  the  Lord 
cause  all  thy  strong  ones  to  fall.     Joel  goes  on, 

V.  13.  "  Put  ye  in  the  sickle,  for  the  harvest  is  ripe:  come, 
and  go  down,  for  the  press  is  full,  the  fat  runs  over;  for  their 
wickedness  is  multiplied."  The  harvest  and  vintage  are 
ready;  and  therefore  people  are  called  to  reap  the  corn, 
and  to  gather  and  tread  the  grapes.  An  allusion,  showing 
that  the  wickedness  of  these  nations  is  so  multiplied,  that  they 
are  ripe  for  the  slaughter  which  is  going  to  be  made  of 
them. — Joel  continues, 

V.  14.  "  Nations,  nations  in  the  valley  of  destruction:  for 
the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  in  the  valley  of  destruction. 

V.  15.  "  The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened,  and  the  stars 
have  withdrawn  their  shining. 

V.  18.  "  And  the  Lord  shall  roar  out  of  Sion,  and  utter  his 
voice  from  Jerusalem  :  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  be 
moved:  and  the  Lord  shall  be  the  hope  of  his  people,  and  the 
strength  of  the  children  of  Israel."  Numberless  nations, 
immense  armies,  now  appear  gathered  together  in  the  valley 
of  Josaphat,  the  valley  of  destruction,  all  which  the  Lord  has 
determined  quickly  to  destroy. 

And  when  he  shall  come  down  from  heaven  to  execute  his 
judgments  upon  these  armies,  the  sun  and  moon  shall  be 
darkened,  and  tiie  stars  shall  withdraw  ;:heir  shining,  and  he 
will  pass  over  Jerusahm  with  a  dreadful  noise,  that  will 
strike  them  with  terror  and  dread  :  "  the  Lord  shall  roar  out 
of  Sion,  and  utter  his  voice  from  Jerusalem." 

To  this  we  may  add  a  sublime,  pathetic,  and  short  de- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  ^83 

scription  of  the  same  tremendous  scene  from  the  prophet 
Isaiah. 

Chap,  xxxiv,  L  "Come  near,  ^''e  Gentiles,  and  hear ;  and 
hearken,  ye  people:  let  the  earth  hear,  and  all  that  is  therein  j 
the  world,  and  every  thing  that  comes  forth  of  it. 

V.  2.  "  For  the  indignation  of  the  Lord  is  upon  all  nations, 
and  his  fury  upon  all  their  armies :  he  has  killed  them  and 
delivered  them  to  slaughter, 

V.  3.  ^'  Their  slain  shall  be  cast  out,  and  out  of  their  car- 
casses shall  rise  a  stink :  the  mountains  shall  be  melted  with 
their  blood. 

V.  4.  *'  And  all  the  hosts  of  the  heavens  shall  pine  away, 
and  the  heavens  shall  be  folded  together  as  a  book :  and  all 
their  hosts  shall  fall  down,  as  the  leaf  falls  from  the  vine,  and 
from  the  fig-tree."  Here  the  Almighty  declares  in  the  most 
solemn  manner,  his  indignation  is  going  to  fall  upon  all  na- 
tions, and  his  fury  upon  their  armie.s,  and  he  will  deliver  them 
up  to  slaughter,  v.  1,  2.  Such  will  be  soon  the  fate  of  Anti- 
christ and  his  armies.  What  is  added  of  their  slain  beingf 
cast  out,  and  a  stench  rising  from  their  carcases,  &c.  v.  3, 
seems  to  belong  to  the  destruction  of  Gog  and  Magog,  which 
we  shall  see  afterwards.  But  before  these  terrible  judgments 
happen,  "  all  the  host  of  the  heavens  shall  pine  away,  v.  4, 
and  shall  fall  down,  as  the  leaf  falls  from  the  vine,  and  from 
the  fig-tree:  and  the  heavens  shall  be  folded  together  as  a 
book."  These  threatening  signs  in  the  heavens,  which  were 
also  just  above-mentioned  in  Joel,  are  'here  expressed  nearly 
in  the  same  terms,  as  we  saw  them  in  the  Apocalypse  under 
the  sixth  seal,  where  we  read,  "  The  sun  became  black  as 
sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood :  and  the 
stars  from  heaven  fell  upon  the  earth,  as  the  fig-tree  casts  its 
green  figs  when  it  is  shaken  by  a  great  wind.  And  the 
heaven  departed  as  a  book  folded  up."  Apoc.  vi.  12,  13,  14. 
Isaiah  had  forewarned  us  in  another  place  :  "  The  day  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts  shall  be  upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  high- 
minded,  and  upon  every  one  that  is  arrogant,  and  he  shall  be 
humbled — And  the  loftiness  of  men  shall  be  bowed  down, 
and  the  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  humbled,  and  the  Lord 
alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day. — And  they  shall  go  into 
the  holes  of  rocks,  and  into  the  caves  of  the  earth  from  the 
fece  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  Majesty, 
when  he  shall  rise  up  to  strike  the  earth,"  ii.  12,  17,  19.  St, 
John  speaks  in  the  same  tenor  under  the  sixth  seal :  "  The 
kings  of  the  earth,"  says  he,   "  and  the  princes — hid  them- 


284  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

selves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  mountains :  and  they 
say  to  the  mountains  and  the  rocks,  fall  upon  us,  and  hide 
us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from 
the  wrath  of  the  Lamb."  Apoc.  15,  16. — See  the  explication 
of  the  sixth  seal. 

Antichrist  therefore  having  seated  himself  upon  Mount 
Olivet,  with  his  armies  round  him  extended  over  the  valley  ol 
Josaphat  and  adjacent  plains,  he  haughtily  thinks  himselt 
equal  to  cope  with  all  the  powers  of  heaven.  This  man  ot 
sin,  this  3on  of  perdition,  this  enemy  of  God  and  men,  though 
upon  the  brink  of  destruction,  persists  in  his  resolution  to  de 
fend  his  impious  and  insolent  pretensions.  He  claims  to 
himself  the  power  and  honours  that  belong  to  the  supreme 
Deity,  and  will  permit  no  other  but  himself  to  be  thought 
master  of  the  world.  He  has,  for  the  space  of  three  years 
and  a  half,  exercised  the  most  despotic  and  cruel  tyranny 
over  mankind,  and  now  he  braves  the  Almighty  himself. 
But,  behold  ! 

Chap.  xix.  11.  "  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,"  says  St.  John, 
"  and  behold  a  white  horse :  and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  was 
called  faithful  and  true,  and  with  justice  doth  he  judge  and 

V.  12.  "  And  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his 
head  were  many  diadems,  and  he  had  a  name  written,  which 
no  man  knows  but  himself 

V.  13.  "And  he  was  clothed  with  a  garment  sprinkled 
with  blood:  and  his  name  is  called.  The  Word  of  God." 
The  heavens  open,  and  St.  John  sees  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  descending;  seated  on  a  white  horse,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  we  saw  him  first  set  out  on  his  conquests  ;  w^hich  shows 
him  to  have  been  all  along  continuing  them :  "  He  went  forth 
conquering  that  he  might  conquer."  Apoc.  vi.  2.  He  is 
known  by  the  peculiar  appellations  here  attributed  to  him : 
faithful  and  true,  v.  11,  faithful  in  protecting  his  servants  and 
revenging  their  injuries  upon  their  enemies,  and  he  is  ever 
true  to  his  promises.  As  the  father  has  given  all  judgment 
to  the  Son,  John  v.  22,  so  the  Son  with  justice  doth  judge 
and  fight,  which  he  is  coming  to  do  at  present.  But  what 
eminently  distinguishes  him,  is  his  name.  The  Word  of 
God,  v.  13,  which  is  well  understood  to  belong  solely  to  him: 
but  it  is  so  comprehensive  in  its  meaning,  that  human  reason 
cannot  fathom  it,  and  no  man  knows  it  but  himself,  v.  12. 
His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  indicating  his  anger ;  and 
on  his  head  were  many  diadems,  the  mark  of  his  power  over 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  285 

all  those  nations  he  is  now  coming  to  punish  :  and  as  this  will 
be  done  by  a  great  slaughter  of  all  Antichrist's  armies,  he 
therefore,  appears  clothed  with  a  garment  sprinkled  with 
biood.-^St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  14.  "And  the  armies  that  are  in  heaven  followed  him 
on  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen  white  and  clean."  The 
celestial  armies  of  saints  follow  the  son  of  God,  as  their  cap- 
tain and  commander  ;  they  are  all  like  him,  mounted  on  white 
horses,  and  clothed  in  fine  linen  white  and  clean,  a  symbol 
of  their  merit  and  glory. 

V.  15.  "And  out  of  his  mouth  proceeded  a  sharp  two- 
edged  sword :  that  with  it  he  may  strike  the  nations.  And 
he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  :  and  he  treadeth  the 
wine-press  of  the  fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  God  the 
Almighty. 

V.  16.  "And  he  hath  on  his  garment  and  on  his  thigh 
written.  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords."  A  sharp  two- 
edged  sword  is  the  weapon  Christ  will  use  to  strike  the  na- 
tions, which  are  assembled  with  Antichrist  against  him. 
The  sword  is  said  to  proceed  from  his  mouth,  because  it  exe- 
cutes his  command.  The  son  of  God  is  the  sovereign  mas- 
ter and  judge  of  all  mankind,  and  therefore  he  rules  his  re- 
bellious subjects  with  a  rod  of  iron,  by  scourging  them  in 
this  life,  and  subjecting  them  to  everlasting  punishments  in 
the  next.  And  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness 
of  the  wrath  of  God  the  Almighty,  that  is,  he  is  the  minis- 
ter of  the  Almighty's  wrath,  and  executes  his  terrible  judg- 
ments upon  the  wicked.  In  fine,  the  son  of  God  is  entitled 
to  all  his  power,  because  he  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords ;  which  name  is  written  on  his  garment,  that  it  may  be 
visible  to  every  eye ;  and  on  his  thigh,  to  show  that  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  strength  to  vindicate  his  sovereign  title,  the  thigh 
being  commonly  put  for  the  emblem  of  strength  in  man. 
Some  of  the  attributes  here  mentioned  are  also  ascribed  to 
Christ  by  the  prophet  Isaiah :  "  Why  then  is  thy  apparel 
red,"  says  he,  "and  thy  garments  like  theirs  that  tread  in 
the  wine-press?  I  have  trodden  the  wine- press  alone,  and 
of  the  Gentiles  there  is  not  a  man  with  me:  I  have  trampled 
on  them  in  my  indignation,  and  have  trodden  them  down  in 
my  wrath,  and  their  blood  is  sprinkled  upon  my  garments, 
and  I  have  stained  all  my  apparel,"  Ixiii.  2,  3. — St.  John  pro- 
ceeds, 

Y.    17.   "And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun,  and  he 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  birds  that  did  fly 


286  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

through  the  midst  of  heaven :  Come,  gather  youi  selves  together 
to  the  great  supper  of  God.* 

V.  18,  "  That  you  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh 
of  tribilnes,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of 
horses  and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  free- 
men and  bondmen,  and  of  little  and  of  great."  While  Christ, 
the  divine  hero,  is  advancing  to  battle  with  his  celestial  army, 
an  angel  in  the  sun  with  a  loud  voice  invites  all  the  birds  of 
the  air  to  a  most  plentiful  entertainment  which  is  preparing 
for  them ;  where  they  may  fill  themselves  with  human  flesh 
of  all  kinds,  from  that  of  kings  to  that  of  slaves,  and  with 
the  flesh  of  horses  and  that  of  their  riders;  an  expressive  pic- 
ture of  the  immense  slaughter  that  is  going  to  be  made.  It 
would  seem  that  this  bloody  scene  will  terminate  in  the  even- 
ing of  the  day,  as  the  invitation  is  giv^en  to  a  supper. — Then, 

V.  19.  "  And  I  saw  the  beast  and  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
and  their  armies  gathered  together,  to  make  war  with  him 
that  sat  upon  the  horse,  and  Vv'ith  his  army."  We  have  just 
now  seen  the  heavenly  captain  on  horseback  at  the  head  of  his 
holy  troop  marching  to  battle  ;  and  now  we  see  Avho  are  the 
enemies  he  comes  to  encounter.  Here  is  the  beast,  or  Anti- 
christ, with  prodigious  armies  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the 
earth,  and  headed  by  their  kings  and  princes.  Here  they 
are  met  with  that  satanic  design  of  engaging  in  battle  with 
him  who  sits  upon  the  horse,  the  omnipotent  Son  of  God. 
"The  kings  of  the  earth,"  says  the  royal  psalmist,  "have 
stood  up,  and  the  princes  have  met  together,  against  the 
Lord,  and  against  his  Christ:  but  thou,  O  Christ,  shall 
break  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel."  Psalm  ii.  2,  9. 
No  more  is  man  than  a  potter's  vessel,  when  he  contends 
with  the  Almighty.  The  decisive  moment  is  come.  This 
is  the  day  of  the  Lord  in  the  valley  of  destruction.  Joel, 
iii.  14.  This  is  the  great  day  of  the  Almighty  God,  Apoc. 
xvi.  14,  in  which  he  will  show  to  whom  belong  empire  and 
victory.     For, 

V.  20.  "  And  the  beast  was  taken,"  pursues  St.  John, 
"  and  with  him  the  false  prophet,  who  wrought  sions  before 
him,  wherewith  he  seduced  them  who  received  the  character  of 
the  beast,  and  who  adored  his  image.  These  two  were  cast 
alive  into  the  pool  of  fire  burning  with  brimstone."  At  the 
terrible  appearance  of  Christ  descending  through  the  skies 
with  his  army,  his  enemies  are  struck  with  dread  and  con- 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  to  the  supper  of  the  great  God." 


HISTOHY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  287 

sternation  ;  and  by  his  order  the  beast  Antichrist,  is  seized 
and  made  captive,  and  with  him  the  great  impostor,  his  false 
prophet,  who  by  dekisive  signs  and  wonders  had  seduced  such 
numbers  to  become  the  beast's  votaries.  Christ  with  the 
sole  breath  of  his  mouth  hurls  down  Antichrist  alive  into  . 
hell-fire,  "  that  wicked  man,  whom,"  as  St.  Paul  informs  us, 
"the  Lord  Jesus  shall  kill  (or  exterminate)  with  the  breath 
of  his  mouth,  and  shall  destro^^"  with  the  brightness  of  his 
coming."  2  Thes,  ii.  8.  The  prophet  Isaiah  had  likewise 
said  :  "  with  the  breath  of  his  lips  he  shall  slay  the  wicked 
man,"  xi.  4.  The  false  prophet  is  also  precipitated  down 
along  with  his  master.  Thus  will  be  exterminated  that  beast, 
Antichrist,  the  greatest  monster  of  impiety  the  earth  ever 
bore,  the  declared  enemy  of  Christ,  the  man  of  sin,  the  son 
of  perdition,  as  St.  Paul  styles  him,  an  idolater,  a  mock  god, 
a  more  cruel  persecutor  of  the  Christians  than  Nero  or  Dio- 
clesian.  From  the  pinnacle  of  arrogance  and  power  he  will 
be  flung  down,  and  in  a  moment  buried  alive  in  the  bottom- 
less pit.  "  I  have  seen  the  wicked  man,"  says  the  psalmist, 
*' highly  exalted,  and  lifted  up  like  the  "cedars  of  Libanus, 
And  I  passed  by,  and  lo  he  was  not:  and  I  sought  him,  and 
his  place  was  not  found."    Psalm  xxxvi.  35. — Lastly, 

V.  21.  "  And  the  rest  were  slain,"  continues  St.  John,  "  by 
the  sword  of  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  horse,  which  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  his  mouth:  and  all  the  birds  were  filled  with 
their  flesh."  Immediately  upon  the  destruction  of  Antichrist 
and  the  false  prophet,  the  whole  army  is  slaughtered  ;  Christ 
commanding  his  two-edged  sword,  or  giving  it  to  an  angel, 
to  do  the  execution.  In  such  a  wide  field  of  carnage,  the 
birds  of  the  air,  which  had  all  been  invited  to  this  supper, 
are  now  filled  and  sated  with  the  flesh  of  the  dead  bodies.  "If 
I  shall  whet  my  sword  as  the  lightning,"  said  the  Lord, 
■"and  my  hand  take  hold  of  judgment  •  I  will  render  ven- 
geance to  my  enemies,  and  repay  them  that  hate  me.  My 
sword  shall  devour  flesh.  Praise  his  people,  ye  nations,  for 
he  will  revenge  the  blood  of  his  servants."  Deuter.  xxxii.  41, 
42,  43.  And  thus  we  see  executed  the  sentence,  taken 
notice  of  before,  which  Christ  pronounced  at  the  beginning  of 
Antichrist's  persecution  and  war :  "  He  that  shall  kill  by  the 
sword,  must  be  killed  by  the  sword."     Apoc.  xiii.  10. 

Such  will  be  the  dreadful  vengeance,  the  almighty  Son  of 
God,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  will  take  upon  his 
enemies,  and  in  this  conspicuous  manner  will  he  vindicate 
his  sovereign  dominion,  and  rescue  his  faithful  servants  from 


288  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

that  intolerable  tyranny  they  have  laboured  under  for  three 
years  and  a  half.  This  exploit  of  the  almighty  Son  of  God, 
we  see  expressed  beautifully  by  his  prophet  Isaiah :  Dixistis 
erdm — Idcirr.o  hoec  dicit  Domiaus  Deus  ;  delehilur  fcedus  ves- 
irum,  &c.  Isaiah  xxviii.  15,  18.  But  we  seem  to  be  furnished 
with  further  interesting  circumstances  of  this  memorable  day 
by  the  prophet  Zachary,  if  we  understand  right  his  following 
prophecy : 

Chap.  xix.  1.  "Behold  the  days  of  the  Lord  shall  come, 
and  thy  spoils  shall  be  divided  in  the  midst  of  thee. 

V.  2.  "  And  I  will  gather  all  nations  to  Jerusalem  to  battle, 
and  the  city  shall  betaken,  and  the  houses  shall  be  rifled,  and 
the  women  shall  be  defiled  :  and  half  of  the  city  shall  go  forth 
into  captivity,  and  the  rest  of  the  people  shall  not  be  taken 
away  out  of  the  city."  This  siege  and  taking  of  Jerusalem 
by  a  body  of  Antichrist's  troops,  we  have  explained  before. — - 
Zachary  goes  on, 

V.  3.  "  Then  the  Lord  shall  go  forth,  and  shall  fight  against 
those  nations,  as  when  he  fought  in  the  day  of  battle. 

V.  4.  "  And  his  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon  the  mount 
of  Olives,  which  is  over  against  Jerusalem  towards  the  east : 
and  the  mount  of  Olives  shall  be  divided  in  the  midst  thereof 
to  the  east,  and  to  the  west,  with  a  very  great  opening,  and 
Jialf  of  the  mountain  shall  be  separated  to  the  north,  and  half 
thereof  to  the  south. 

V.  5.   " And  the  Lord  my  God  shall  come,  and  all  the 

saints  with  him."  The  Lord  my  God,  the  almighty  Son  of 
God,  will  come,  accompanied  by  all  the  saints,  v.  5,  as  St.  John 
represented  him,  and  he  will  destroy  at  once  all  those  nations, 
V.  3,  as  he  destroyed  in  the  day  of  battle,  the  Egyptians  in 
the  Red  Sea.  Mount  Olivet,  it  is  here  said,  v.  4,  shall  be  split 
in  two;  in  order  perhaps  to  open  a  passage  to  Antichrist  and 
his  false  prophet,  at  the  moment  they  are  cast  down  alive  into 
the  infernal  pit.  Christ  will  stand  upon  the  mountain  :  and 
while  he  is  in  this  posture,  the  immense  heap  of  slain  lying 
in  the  plains  below  him,  may  not  his  enemies  then  be  truly 
said  to  be  made  his  footstool?     Psalm  cix.  I. 

V.  6.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,"  continues 
Zachary,  "that  there  shall  be  no  light,  but  cold  and  frost. 

V.  7.  "And  there  shall  be  one  day,  which  is  known  to  the 
Lord,  not  day  nor  night:  and  in  the  time  of  the  evening  there 
shall  be  light."  That  one  day,  known  to  thy  Lord,  is  the  day 
of  vengeance  upon  Antichrist  and  his  people,  which  properly 
wi*    neither  be  day  nor  night,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  being 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  289 

obscured  and  veiled  over,  as  we  learrie-d  from  Joel,  saying  of 
that  day  "  the  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened,  and  the  stars 
have  withdrawn  their  shining,"  iii.  15.  The  light  that  will 
then  illuminate  the  earth,  will  be  that  resplendent  brightness 
with  which  our  Saviour  will  come  down  to  do  the  execution. 
While  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  thus  intercepted,  no  wonder  the 
air  grows  cold  and  frosty.  But  in  the  evening  there  will  be 
light,  that  is,  when  the  scene  is  over,  and  Christ  mounted  up 
back  to  heaven,  the  sun's  light  will  return,  viz.  in  the. evening, 
the  time  indicated  also  by  St  John  in  the  invitation  of  the  birds 
to  a  supper. 

V.  12.  "And  this  shall  be  the  plague  wherewith  the  Lord 
shall  strike  all  nations  that  have  fought  against  Jerusalem : 
the  flesh  of  every  one  shall  consume  away  while  they  stand 
upon  their  feet,  and  their  eyes  shall  consume  away  in  their 
holes,  and  their  tongues  shall  consume  away  in  their  mouth." 
While  Antichrist's  armies  in  the  vale  of  Josaphat  are  slain 
by  the  sword,  those  troops  which  took  Jerusalem  in  the  above- 
mentioned  siege,  and  treated  there  the  servants  of  God  so 
barbarously,  will  be  punished  by  their  flesh  melting  and  con- 
suming away,  &c.  and  thus  the  people  will  be  preserved  from 
any  stench  of  the  carcass.es. 

V.  16.  "And  all  they  that  shall  be  left  of  all  nations  that 
came  against  Jerusalem,  shall  go  up  from  year  to  year,  to  ■> 
adore  the  King,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  to  keep  the  feast  of 
tabernacles. 

V.  17.  '■  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  he  that  shall  not 
go  up  of  the  families  of  the  land  to  Jerusalem,  to  adore  the 
tiding,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  there  shall  be  no  rain  upon  them." 
Those  that  join  not  Antichrist's  army,  but  remain  in  their 
country,  will  be  ordered  to  depute  a  certain  number  of  per- 
sons to  go  every  yt'ar  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate  the  feast  of 
tabernacles:  and  if  any  country  neglect  this  obligatory  devo- 
tion, it  will  be  punished  by  the  want  of  rain.  The  feast  of 
Tabernacles  was  kept  by  the  Jews  in  memory  of  their  so- 
journing forty  years  in  the  desert,  and  this  place  may  signify 
the  solemn  festival,  wliich  will  be  annually  observed  by  the 
Christians  at  Jerusalem,  in  memory  of  their  deliverance 
from  Antichrist,  by  the  destruction  of  him  and  his  people  in 
and  near  th:U  city.  And  as  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles  was 
kept  on  the  fifteenth  of  the  Hebrew  month  Tizri,  which  an- 
swers to  the  moon  of  our  September  ;  this  may  indicate  that 
the  great  day  of  destruction  will  happen  about  the  autumnal 
equinox;  in  which  case  counting  back  three  years  and 
25 


290  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

a   half^  Antichrist  will   begin   bis  war  and  persecution   in 
spring. 

Though  we  have  already  seen  a  pretty  ample  account  of 
the  fate  of  Antichrist,  Ave  seem  however  to  be  presented  with 
another  beautiful  picture  of  it,  illustrated  even  with  some  new 
scenes,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah.      Thus  speaks  he : 

Chap.  xiv.  3.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that 
when  God  shall  give  thee  rest  from  thy  labour,  and  from  thy 
vexation,  and  from  the  hard  bondage,  wherewith  thou  didst 
serve  before. 

V.  4.  "  Thou  shalt  take  up  this  parable  against  the  king 
of  Babylon,  and  shalt  say :  How  is  the  oppressor  come  to 
nothing,  the  tribute  hath  ceased? 

V.  5.  "  The  Lord  has  -broken  the  staff  of  the  wicked,  the 
rod  of  the  rulers, 

V.  6.  "  That  struck  the  people  in  wrath  with  an  incurable 
wound,  that  brought  nations  under  their  fury,  that  persecuted 
in  a  cruel  manner, 

V.  7.  "  The  whole  earth  is  quiet  and  still,  it  is  glad  and 
hath  rejoiced." 

Though  this  prophecy  may  in  some  measure  relate  to  the 
king  of  ancient  Babylon,  yet  it  seems  to  be  principally  spo- 
ken of  Antichrist,  king  of  the  last  Babylon,  and  to  be  finally 
completed  in  him.  It  is  usual  with  prophets  to  join  in  the 
same  description  two  objects  that  have  a  relation  one  to  the 
other.  Here  then  the  Almighty  tells  his  people  that,  when 
they  shall  be  freed  from  their  labour,  vexation,  and  hard 
bondage  under  Antichrist,  v.  3,  they  shall  address  heaven  in 
a  hymn  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  saying:  How  is  the 
oppressor  (Antichrist)  come  to  nothing?  The  Lord  hath 
broken  the  staff  of  the  wicked,  the  rod  of  the  rulers  that 
struck*  the  people  in  wrath  with  an  incurable  wound,  that 
brought  nations  under  in  fury,  that  persecuted  in  a  cruel 
manner:  and  now  the  whole  earth  is  quiet  and  still,  it  is  glad 
and  hath  rejoiced,  v.  4,  5,  6,  7. 

V.  9.  "Hell  below,"  continues  the  prophet,  "was  in  an 
uproar  to  meet  thee  at  thy  coming,  it  stirred  up  the  giants 
for  thee.  All  the  princes  of  the  earth  are  risen  up  from 
their  thrones,  all  the  princes  of  nations. 

V.  10.   "All  shall  answer  and  say  to  thee:   Thou  also  art 

wounded  as  well  as  we,  thou  art  become  like  unto  us. 

■   V.  11,  "  Thy  pride  is  brought  down  to  hell,  thy  carcass  is 

fallen   down  :  under  thee   shall   the   moth  be  strewed,  and 

worms  shall  be  thy  covering."     Here  we  see  the  reception 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTAN  CHURCH.  291 

Antichrist  meets  with  at  his  arrival  in  the  infernal  regions. 
All  hell  is  in  an  uproar,  the  princes,  the  giants  or  famous  war- 
riors whom  he  had  slain,  rise  up  and  advance  to  meet  him, 
addressing  him  with  derision :  Oh !  Thou  art  also  wounded 
then  as  well  as  we,  thou  art  at  last  dealt  with  as  thou  dea  t 
with  us :   Thy  pride  is  brought  down  to  hell,  &c. 

V.  12.  "  How  art  thou  fallen  from  heaven,  O  Lucifer,  who 
didst  rise  in  the  morning?  how  art  thou  fallen  to  the  earth, 
that  didst  wound  the  nations  ? 

V.  13.  "  And  thou  saidst  in  thy  heart:  I  will  ascend  to 
heaven,  I  will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  I  will 
sit  in  the  mountain  of  the  covenant,  in  the  sides  of  the  north. 

V.  14.  "I  will  ascend  above  the  height  of  the  clouds,  I 
will  be  like  the  Most  High. 

y.  15.  "  But  yet  thou  shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell,  into 
the  depth  of  the  pit."  The  princes  in  hell  continue  to  insult 
Antichrist,  saying:  How  art  thou  fallen,  thou  that  shone  in 
majesty  and  brightness  like  Lucifer,  the  morning  star?  They 
remind  him  of  his  former  pride,  arrogance,  superlative  inso- 
lence, his  proclaiming  himself  God,  &c.,  all  which  they  paint 
in  lively  colours:  After  which  with  a  contemptuous  triumph 
they  tell  him :  But  yet  thou  shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell 
into  the  depth  of  the  pit. 

V.  16.  "  They  that  shall  see  thee,  shall  turn  towards  thee, 
and  behold  thee:  is  this  the  man  that  troubled  the  earth,  that 
shook  kingdoms. 

V.  17.  "  That  made  the  world  a  wilderness,  and  destroyed 
the  cities  thereof,  that  opened  not  the  prison  to  the  prisoners? 

V.  18.  "  All  the  kings  of  the  nations  have  all  of  them  slept 
in  glory,  every  one  in  his  own  house. 

V.  19.  "  But  thou  wert  cast  out  of  thy  grave  as  an  unpro- 
fitable branch  defiled,  and  wrapped  up  among  them  that  are 
slain  by  the  sword,  and  are  gone  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
pit  as  a  rotten  carcass." 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

THE  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE   SIXTH  AGE. 

Notwithstanding  the  vengeance  of  God  has  thus  mani- 
fested itself  in  the  total  extermination  of  Antichrist  and  his 


292  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

armies,  his  wrath  is  not  yet  satisfied,  hut  requires  more  vic- 
tims to  atone  for  the  injury  done  to  his  holy  worship  by  the 
establishment  of  idolatry  and  for  the  cruelties  exercised  upon 
his  servants.  The  Almighty  had  formerly  poured  out  his 
indignation  upon  the  Roman  emperors,  many  of  whom  were 
struck,  and  perished  under  the  visible  marks  of  his  judgments. 
But  this  was  not  sufficient,  he  devoted  haughty  imperial  Rome, 
their  capital,  to  destruction,  and  laid  it  in  ashes.  It  had  parti- 
cipated with  its  masters  in  the  crime  of  supporting  idolatry, 
and  waging  war  against  the  saints,  and  therefore  like  them 
was  to  be  cut  off  In  the  same  manner  Constantinople,  the 
centre  and  metropolis  of  the  Antichristian  empire,  must  also 
fall  under  the  Aveight  of  the  hand  of  God.  This  we  learn 
from  St.  John  :  for  thus  speaks  he. 

Chap.  xiv.  8.  "  And  another  angel  followed,  saying,  That 
great  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen  :*  which  made  all  nations  to 
drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication."  This  Ba- 
bylon has  been  supposed  by  many  interpreters  to  mean  pagan 
Rom.e,  but  whoever  studies  the  Apocalypse  with  attention,  will 
see  the  error  of  that  opinion.  For  St.  John  gives  the  destruc- 
tion of  heathen  Rome  in  the  beginning  of  the  18th  chapter, 
sis  we  have  before  seen,  and  in  the  same  terms  nearly,  not 
entirely,  as  are  used  here :  and  as  St.  John  never  repeats  the 
same  event,  this  second  Babylon  must  be  another  city,  the 
great  city,  which  has  made  all  nations  to  drink  of  the  wine  of 
her  fornication  or  idolatry.  This  Babylon  therefore  can  be  no 
other  than  Constantinople,  the  imperial  city  of  Antichrist,  which 
has  so  readily  joined  him  in  admitting  idolatry,  and  so  hotly 
concurred  to  propagate  it  over  the  whole  earth.  Besides,  the 
same  conclusion  follows  from  observing,  that  the  transactions 
related  in  this  14th  chapter  belong  to  the  last  period  of  the 
world.     Other  proofs  will  also  presently  occur. 

But  our  Christian  prophet  has  riot  only  announced  to  us  in 
general  the  fall -of  this  last  Babylon,  but  even  gives  us  a  spe- 
cial description  of  its  destruction.  This  is  found  in  the  latter 
part  of  the-  18th  chapter.  St.  John,  after  carrying  on  his  nar 
rative  of  the  fite  of  old  Rome,  in  the  first  part  of  the  same 
chaptejff proceeds  in  verse  20th,  to  invite  heaven  and  the  saints 
to  rejoice  and  exult  on  the  occasion.  "  Rejoice  over  her,"  says 
he,  "  thou  heaven  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets:  for 
God  has  judged  your  judgment  on  her."  This  indicates  that 
liere  concludes  his  description  of  the  fall  of  Babylon  or  pa- 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  Babylon  the  great  city  in  fallen,  is  fallen." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  293 

gan  Rome.     What  follows,  belongs  therefore  to  the  second 
Babylon  or  Constantinople,  and  is  related  thus : 

Chap,  xviii.  21.  "  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone,  as 
it  were  a  great  mill-stone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying : 
with  such  violence  as  this  shall  Babylon  that  great  city  be 
thrown  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at  all."  Here  then 
Constantinople  falls,  and  the  manner  of  her  fall  is  expressed 
in  clear  and  energetic  terms.  As  a  mill-stone  thrown  with 
violence  into  the  sea  sinks  to  the  bottom  in  a  moment,  so  will 
Constantinople  be  swallowed  up  by  the  sea  in  an  instant,  ne- 
ver more  to  be  seen. 

This  description  cannot,  it  is  evident,  belong  to  Rome,  which 
does  not  stand  upon  the  sea.  Besides,  ancient  Rome  after  its 
destruction  was  in  some  degree  rebuilt  and  still  subsists, 
whereas  this  last  Babylon  after  its  fate  shall  be  found  no  more 
at  all. 

The  prophet  goes  on, 

V.  22.  "  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  of  musicians,  and 
of  them  that  play  on  the  pipe  and  on  the  trumpet,  shall  no 
more  be  heard  at  all  in  thee,  and  no  craftsmen  of  any  art 
whatsoever  shall  be  found  any  more  at  all  in  thee,  and  the 
sound  of  the  mill  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee. 

V.  23.  '•  And  the  light  of  the  lamp  shall  shine  no  more  at 
all  in  thee,  and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  bride  shall 
be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee :  for  thy  merchants  were  the 
great  men  of  the  earth,  for  all  nations  have  been  deceived  by 
thy  enchantments."  Neither  music,  nor  dancing,  of  which 
the  eastern  nations  are  fond,  nor  other  diversions,  shall  ever 
more  be  heard  or  seen  in  that  city,  &c.  All  is  profound  si- 
lence, and  utter  desolation.  No  more  vestiges  even  of  that 
great  city  remaining  than  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha,  the  very 
place  buried  in  the  deep.  Her  crimes  had  grown  to  their  full 
measure.  Her  luxury  had  been  excessive,  to  serve  which 
the  great  men  and  the  princes  of  the  earth  had  been  compelled 
to  strip  themselves  and  to  furnish  her  with  every  thing  that 
was  valuable.  Her  voluptuousness  was  such  that  she  seduced 
all  nations  by  her  riches  and  her  pleasures,  which,  like  an 
enchantment,  fascinate  the  minds  of  men.  By  these  allure- 
ments she  had,  like  ancient  Rome,  ensnared  mankind  into  her 
vices  and  idolatry. 

Such  is  the  general  view  of  the  state  of  that  imperial  city, 
as  it  will  be  at  the  time  of  her  fall.     But  what  completed  to 
make  her  infinitely  odious  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  to  force 
down  the  divine  vengeance  upon  her,  was, 
25* 


294  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

V.  24.  "  And  in  her,"  says  St.  John,  '*  was  found  the  bloo-l 
of  prophets  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the 
earth."  In  the  exultation  for  the  fall  of  pagan  Rome  in  verse 
20th,  the  apostles  were  mentioned,  because  their  blood  was 
found  there,  as  having  been  spilled  by  her  emperors  and  ma- 
gistrates. This  not  being  the  case  of  the  last  Babylon  or 
Constantinople,  in  her  is  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of 
saints,  of  Henoch  and  Elias,  and  of  an  infinite  multitude  of 
Christian  martyrs,  cruelly  put  to  death  by  her  emperor.  Anti- 
christ, and  his  magistrates ;  blood,  which  cried  to  heaven  for 
vengeance,  and  in  which  he  had  a  share.  It  is  even  said  that 
in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  all  that  were  slain  .npon  the 
earth.  All  this  blood  is  imputed  to  the  city  of  Constantinople, 
because  she  was  the  capital  of  Antichrist's  empire,  which  ex- 
tended over  the  whole  earth.  In  this  same  sense  it  was  said 
that  heathen  Rome  "  was  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the  saints, 
and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus,"  Apoc.  xvii.  6, 
not  only  of  those  who  had  been  put  to  death  within  her  walls, 
but  likewise  of  all  others  who  had  suffered  in  the  extent  of 
her  dominions  through  the  whole  period  of  the  persecutions. 

As  the  subversion  of  the  Antichristian  Babylon,  in  the  pro 
phetic  history,  follows  immediately  that  of  the  Roman  Baby- 
lon ;  in  like  manner  the  exultations  in  heaven  for  both  are 
joined  to  one  another.  The  jubilation  for  the  fall  of  pagan 
Rome  begins  thus :  "  After  these  things  I  heard  as  it  were  the 
voice  of  a  great  multitude  in  heaven  saying  Alleluia,"  &c. 
Apoc.  xix.  L  And  that  for  the  fall  of  Constantinople,  thus  : 
"And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude — say- 
ing. Alleluia,"  &c.  ibid,  v,  6.  The  same  mode  of  speecli 
used  in  both  these  places,  as  St.  John  never  repeats  the  same 
thing,  shows  that  these  expressions  of  jubilation  relate  to  two 
different  objects,  that  is,  to  the  fall  of  two  different  Babylons. 
This  observation  premised,  the  present  exultation  is, 

Chap.  xix.  6.  "And  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "as  it  were 
the  Voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of  many  wa- 
ters, and  as  the  voice  of  great  thunders,  saying,  Alleluia:  for 
the  Lord  our  God  the  Almighty  hath  reigned."  St.  John 
heard  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude  in  heaven,  of  that  great 
multitude  of  martyrs  which  he  had  seen  standing  before  the 
throne,  and  who  had  come  out  of  the  great  tribulation,  or  per- 
secution of  Antichrist,  Apoc.  vii.  9,  14.  To  these  is  joined  a 
voice,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  that  is,  of  the  angels  that 
preside  over  nations,  denoted  by  waters,  which  had  all  before 
groaned   under  the  tyranny  of  Antichrist :  and  also  another 


'^'  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  295 

voice,  like  the  voice  of  great  thunders,  or  of  the  angel  that 
presides  over  fire,  which,  as  employed  in  military  engines,  by 
its  explosion  resembles  thunder ;  and  such  thundering  fire 
was  the  instrument  Antichrist  made  use  of  to  kill  the  third 
part  of  men,  Apoc.  ix.  18.  All  these  different  personages 
have  therefore  reason  to  rejoice  on  this  occasion,  and  to  join 
their  voices  in  singing,  Alleluia;  for  the  Lord  our  God  Al- 
mighty hath  reigned,  has  asserted  his  sovereign  power,  and 
crushed  his  enemies. 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  in  denouncing  the  divine  wrath  upon 
Babylon  of  Chaldaea,  seems  also  to  have  annexed  the  judg- 
ment that  is  to  fall  upon  the  last  or  Antichristian  Babylon. 
The  fall  of  the  first  is  fully  described  in  chapter  1 3th,  and 
w  hat  follows  in  the  subsequent  chapter  must  therefore  belong 
to  another  city ;  which  is  confirmed  by  particular  circum- 
stances there  related.  Part  of  the  preamble  used  bv  that 
prophet  seems  also  to  be  referred  to  the  last  Babylon.  Thus 
,  speaks  he. 

Chap.  xiii.  9.  "  Behold  the  day  of  the  Lord  shall  come, 
a  cruel  day,  and  full  of  indignation,  and  of  wrath,  and  fury, 
to  lay  the  land  desolate,  and  to  destroy  the  sinners  thereof 

V.  10.  "  For  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  their  brightness,  shall 
not  display  their  light :  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  in  his 
rising,  and  the  moon  shall  not  shine  with  her  light."  These 
signs  indicate  the  last  age  of  the  world. 

V.  11.  "And  I  will  visit  the  evils  of  the  world,  and 
against  the  wicked  for  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  make  the 
pride  of  infidels  to  cease,  and  will  bring  down  the  arrogance 
of  the  mighty." 

Then  in  the  next  chapter  the  prophet,  after  describing  the 
character  of  Antichrist  and  the  divine  judgment  upon  him, 
proceeds  to  relate  the  destruction  of  his  Babylon,  thus : 

Chap.  xiv.  22.  "  And  I  will  raise  up  against  them,  said 
the  Lord  of  hosts  :  and  I  will  destroy  the  name  of  Babylon, 
and  the  remains,  and  the  bud,  and  the  offspring,  saith  the 
Lord. 

V.  23.  "  And  I  will  make  it  a  possession  for  the  ericius* 
and  pools  of  waters,  and  I  will  sweep  it,  and  wear  it  out 
with  a  besom,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  The  remains  of 
Babylon ;  the  bud  of  Babylon,  perhaps  the  children  in  the 
womb ;  and  the  offspring,  are  all  doomed  to  be  utterly  extir- 
pated. This  did  not  happen  to  the  Chaldaean  Babylon,  which 

*  A  water-bird.    , 


296  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

was  gradually  abandoned  by  its  inhabitants ;  and  will  only 
therefore  be  completed  in  Babylon,  the  great  city  of  Anti- 
christ. 

We  have  now  seen  the  execution  of  the  divine  judgments 
upon  Antichrist's  armies  and  his  great  city.  But  as  his  ma- 
gistrates and  his  adherents  who  are  dispersed  in  all  the  dif- 
ferent countries  of  the  earth,  may  be  deemed  equally  guilty 
with  those  that  have  perished,  it  seems  to  appear  that  the 
hand  of  divine  vengeance  will  also  reach  them.  This  is  an- 
nounced immediately  after  the  sentence  passed  upon  the  last 
Babylon,  and  is  as  follows, 

Chap.  xiv.  9.  "  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying 
with  a  loud  voice :  if  any  man  shall  adore  the  beast  and  his 
image,  and  receive  his  character  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his 
hand ; 

V.  10.  "  He  also  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  which  is  mingled  with  pure  wine  in  the  cup  of  his 
wrath,  and  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  ' 
sight  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  Lamb." 
Those  therefore  that  have  adored  the  beast,  or  Antichrist,  and 
his  image,  and  received  his  character,  or  mark,  are  con- 
demned to  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is 
mingled  with  pure  wine  in  the  cup  of  his  wrath,  that  is, 
those  who  have  been  guilty  of  all  the  three  above-named  crimes 
they  will  be  slain,  in  the  same  manner  as  Antichrist's  army. 
To  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  denotes  the  divine 
punishment  on  the  body  or  corporeal  part  of  man,  as  wine 
itself  is  not  a  pure  substance,  but  contains  gross  lees ;  and  the 
mixture  of  pure  wine  in  the  cup  of  the  wrath  of  God,  in- 
dicates the  simultaneous  punishment  of  the  soul,  which  is  a 
pure  substance,  and  which  on  the  slaughter  of  the  body  is  vio- 
lently separated  from  it.  When  both  these  component  parts, 
soul  and  body  are  reunited  at  the  general  judgment,  then  the 
whole  man  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  hell 
in  the  sight  -of'  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  Lamb. 
But, 

V.  11.  "  And  the  smoke  of  their  torments,"  proceeds  St. 
John,  "  shall  ascend  up*  for  ever  and  ever :  neither  have  they 
rest  day  nor  night,  who  hath  adored  the  beast  and  his  image, 
and  whosoever  receives  the  character  of  his  name."  Here  is 
the  present  fate  of  the  soul,  which  at  the  instant  of  death  is 
tormented  in  hell  fire,  without  intermission  or  rest :  which  is 

♦  In  the  Greek,  "  ascends  up." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  297 

the  sentence  pronounced  upon  all  those  who  have  adored  the 
beast,  &c.  whatever  may  be  their  death,  and  whenever  it  may- 
happen.     Then  St.  John  adds, 

V.  12.  "  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints,  who  keep  the 
commandments  of  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus."  Here  is  the 
motive,  on  which  is  founded  the  patience  of  the  true  servants 
of  God,  namely,  in  bearing  with  all  trials,  hardships  and  per- 
secutions in  this  life,  with  the  view  of  avoiding  the  eternal 
torments,  and  purchasing  the  etern«,l  rewards,  of  the  other 
world. 

The  preceding  dreadful  judgment  of  God  on  the  votaries 
of  Antichrist,  wherever  they  be,  seems  to  be  also  foretold  ex- 
plicitly by  the  prophet  Jerem^^  as  follows  : 

Chap.  XXV.  15.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of 
Israel :  take  the  cup  of  wine  of  this  fury  at  my  hand :  and 
thou  shalt  make  all  the  nations  to  drink  thereof,  unto  which  I 
shall  send  thee."  Expressions  similar  to  what  we  saw  above 
in  St.  John. 

V.  30.  "  And  thou  shalt  prophesy  unto  them  all  these 
words,  and  thou  shalt  say  to  them  :  the  Lord  shall  roar  from 
on  high,  and  shall  utter  his  voice  from  his  holy  habitation  : 
roaring  he  shall  roar  upon  the  place  of  his  beauty  :  the  shout 
as  it  were  of  them  that  tread  the  grapes,  shall  be  given  out 
agfainst  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

V.  31.  "The  noise  is  come  to  the  ends  of  the  earth:  for 
the  Lord  entereth  into  judgment  with  the  nations  :  he  enter- 
eth  into  judgment  with  all  flesh,  the  wicked  I  have  delivered 
up  to  the  sword,  saith  the  Lord. 

V.  32.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts :  behold  evil  shall 
go  forth  from  nation  to  nation:  and  a  great  whirl-wind  shall 
go  forth  from  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

V.  33.  "  And  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  at  that  day 
from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  to  the  other  end  thereof:  they 
shall  not  be  lamented,  and  they  shall  not  be  gathered  up,  nor 
buried:  they  shall  lie  as  dung  upon  the  face  of  the  earth." 
Here  is  the  tremendous  roaring  noise,  v.  30,  31,  before  ta- 
ken notice  of  from  Joel,  of  Christ  coming  down  from  heaven 
to  destroy  Antichrist  and  his  people.  The  Lord  entereth  into 
judgment  with  all  flesh,  and  delivers  the  wicked  up  to  the 
sword,  v.  31,  and  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  at  that  day 
from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  to  the  other  end  thereof,  v.  33. 
Hence  it  appears,  that  not  only  Antichrist's  armies,  assembled 
in  the  valley  of  Josaphat,  shall  be  slain  by  the  sword,  but  all 
his  principal  idolatrous  abettors  shall  be  cut  off'  in  the  same 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

manner  in  every  part  of  the  earth.  Moreover  we  are  here 
told,  they  shall  not  be  lamented,  and  they  shall  not  be  gathered 
up,  nor  buried :  they  shall  lie  as  dung  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 
The  same  we  also  learn  from  the  prophet  Isaiah  :  "  And  they 
(the  people)  shall  go  out,"  says  he,  "and  see  the  carcasses  of 
the  men  that  have  transgressed  against  me :  their  worm  shall 
not  die,  and  their  fire  shall  not  be  quenched ;  and  they  shall 
be  a  loathsome  sight  to  all  flesh,"  Ixvi.  24.  It  may  seem 
strange  that  the  inhabitents  of  Jerusalem  should  not  be  an- 
noyed with  the  stench  of  such  a  heap  of  dead  bodies  lying  so 
near  them  in  the  vale  of  Josaphat ;  but  the  infection  is  pre- 
vented by  the  birds  devouring  the  flesh,  as  St.  John  told  us, 
and  leaving  the  bodies  mere  skeletons. 

By  the  destruction  of  Antichrist,  his  armies,  oflicers,  and 
chief  associates,  we  now  see  his  kingdom  dissolved,  his  power 
totally  extinguished,  and  consequently  the  Roman  empire 
finally  put  an  end  to.  The  prophet  Daniel  had  foretold  that 
Christ,  or  the  stone  that  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 
hands,,  should  break  down  the  statue,  the  legs  and  feet  of  which 
represented  the  Roman  empire.  This  was  executed  in  part 
by  the  fall  of  pagan  Rome  with  its  dominion,  and  by  the  es- 
tablishment of  Christianity  upon  its  ruins.  But  this  prophecy 
seems  to  receive  a  further,  adequate,  and  final  completion  in 
the  extermination  of  Antichrist,  the  last  and  greatest  of  the 
Roman  emperors,  in  the  destruction  of  Constantinople,  his 
imperial  city,  and  in  the  total  suppression  of  the  Anlichristian 
power.  From  such  a  complete  victory  over  its  enemies  rises 
then  the  completest  triumph  of  the  Christian  religion.  Such 
appears  to  be  the  import  of  that  prophecy,  in  which  Daniel 
speaks  thus  to  Nabuchodonosor :  "  Thus  thou  sawest,  till  a 
stone  was  cut  out  of  a  mountain  without  hands:  and  it  struck 
the  statue  upon  the  feet  thereof  that  were  of  iron  and  of  clay, 
and  broke  them  in  pieces  :  then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the 
brass,  the  silver,  and  the  gold  broken  to  pieces  together,  and 
became  like  the  chaff' of  a  summer's  threshing  floor,  and  they 
were  carried  away  with  the  wind:  and  there  was  no  place 
found  for  them  :  but  the  stone  that  struck  the  statue  became  a 
great  mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth,"  ii.  34,  35. 

Here  then  we  may  congratulate  ourselves  for  having  seen 
at  last  an  end  put  to  the  innumerable  evils  and  miseries,  which 
Antichrist  brought  upon  mankind,  and  which  St.  John  de- 
nominates the  second  wo,  chap.  xi.  14.  "The  second  avo," 
says  he,  "  is  past:  and  behold  the  third  wo  will  come  quick- 
ly."    The  above  dismal  scene  being  over,  the  respite  will  not 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  299 

be  of  very  long  duration ;  for  behold,  the  third  woe,  or  day 
of  judgment,  will  come  quickly,  is  not  far  off 

But  now  the  servants  of  God  seemed  at  last  to  be  rescued 
from  their  intolerable  slavery,  and  were  much  rejoiced  at  the 
prospect  of  a  happy  peace.  They  saw  their  persecutors  had 
all  perished  under  the  hand  of  the  Almighty,  they  saw  idola- 
try crushed,  and  that  religion  had  regained  its  liberty.  This 
bright  gleam  of  happiness  must  however  suffer  some  obscu- 
rity yet  for  a  little  while,  before  it  shines  forth  in  all  its  lus- 
tre. An  unforeseen  storm  arises,  which  alarms  them,  espe- 
cially those  that  inhabit  Judea  and  Jerusalem.  Satan,  foiled 
in  his  prior  designs  before  he  could  bring  them  to  perfection, 
retires  at  seeing  the  divine  vengeance  coming  to  break  on  the 
head  of  Antichrist,  and  resolves  to  try  another  effort,  if  not 
effectual  for  recovering  his  power,  at  least  to  annoy  and  dis- 
tress those  he  hates,  the  Christians.  He  therefore  sets  for- 
ward to  raise  up  new  enemies.  This  we  learn  from  St.  John, 
who  says. 

Chap.  XX.  7.  "  And  when  the  thousand  j-ears  shall  be 
finished,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  and  shall  go 
forth,  and  seduce  the  nations  which  are  over  the  four  quarters 
of  the  earth,  Gog,  and  Magog,  and  shall  gather  them  together 
to  battle,  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea."  We 
have  already  seen  how  Satan  stirred  up  the  nations  which  are 
over  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,  and  what  desolation  and 
havoc  they  made.  He  now  instigates  'another  great  prince, 
named  Gog,  to  rise  with  his  people,  who  are  called  Magog, 
and  with  other  nations,  and  to  proceed  against  the  people  of 
God.  The  omission  here  of  the  usual  conjunctive  particle 
and  before  the  name  of  Gog,  may  be  one  among  other  indica- 
tions, that  this  is  a  different  army  from  that  of  the  nations  just 
before  mentioned,  and  will  come  at  a  different  time.  But  of 
this  prince  and  his  army  and  their  march,  we  have  a  more 
explicit  account  in  the  prophet  Ezechiel,  who  gives  it  thus  : 

Chap,  xxxviii,  1.  "And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me, 
saying  : 

V.  2.  "  Son  of  man,  set  thyself  against  Gog,  the  land  of 
Magog,  the  chief  prince  of  Mosoch  and  Thubal :  and  prophecy 
of  him, 

V.  3.  "  And  say  unto  him :  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God. 
Behold  I  come  against  thee,  O  Gog,  the  chief  prince  of  Mo- 
soch and  Thubal. 

V.  4.  "  And  I  will  turn  thee  about,  and  I  will  put  a  bit  in 
thy  jaws  :  and  I  will  bring  thee  forth,  and  all  thy  army,  hor- 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

ses  and  horsemen  all  clothed  with  coats  of  mail,  a  great  mul- 
titude, armed  with  spears  and  shields  and  swords. 

•V.  5.  "  The  Persians,  Ethiopians,  and  Lybians  with  them, 
all  with  shields  and  helmets. 

V.  6.  •*  Gomer,  and  all  his  bands,  the  house  of  Thogorma, 
from  the  northern  parts,  and  all  his  strength  and  many  peo- 
ple with  thee. 

V.  7.  "  Prepare  and  make  thyself  ready,  and  all  thy  multi- 
tude that  is  assembled  about  thee:  and  be  thou  commandei 
over  them."  Here  then  the  Almighty  challenges  to  battle 
the  prince  Gog  with  all  his  great  multitude,  or  as  St.  John 
says,  the  number  of  w^hom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  consist- 
ing of  the  people  of  Magog,  that  is,  as  commonly  understood, 
of  a  people  of  ancient  Scythia,  or  what  is  now  called  Great 
Tartary,  and  of  other  Asiatic  provinces  under  the  names  of 
Mosoch,  Thubal,  Gomer,  and  Thogorma.  He  will  be  also 
attended  by  the  Persians,  Ethiopians,  and  Lybians. — The 
Almighty  continues  to  speak, 

V.  8.  "And  after  many  days  thou  shalt  be  visited:  at  the 
end  of  years  thou  shalt  come  to  the  land  that  is  returned  from 
the  sword,  and  is  gathered  out  of  many  nations,  to  the  mount- 
ains of  Israel  which  have  been  continually  waste;  but  it  hath 
been  brought  forth  out  of  the  nations,  and  they  shall  all  oi 
them  dwell  securely  in  it."  Gog  therefore  will  come  at  the 
end  of  years,  or  in  the  last  period  of  time,  to  the  land  that  is 
returned  from  the  sword,  and  is  gathered  out  of  many  nations, 
&c.  that  is,  he  will  come  to  invade  Judjea,  from  whence  the 
Jews  had  been  formerly  expelled  by  the  Roman  sword,  but 
are  now  returned  and  become  Christians,  and  are  settled  in 
their  land,  in  the  possession  of  which  they  will  be  secured 
by  the  divine  hand  against  all  attempts. 

V.  9.  "  And  thou,  Gog,  shalt  go  up  and  come  like  a  storm, 
and  like  a  cloud  to  cover  the  land,  thou  and  all  thy  bands  and 
many  people  with  thee. 

V.  10.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  God:  In  that  day  projects 
shall  enter  into  thy  heart,  and  thou  shalt  conceive  a  mis- 
chievous desiijn. 

V.  11.  "And  thou  shalt  say:  I  will  go  up  to  the  land 
which  is  without  a  wall,  I  will  come  to  them  that  are  at  rest, 
and  dwell  securely:  all  these  dwell  without  a  wall,  they 
have  no  bars  nor  gates."  This  refers  to  what  St.  John  relates 
of  Gog  and  his  army:  "  and  they  came  upon  the  breadth  of  the 
earth,  and  encompassed  the  camp  of  the  saints,  the  good 
Christians,  and  the  beloved  city  of  Jerusalem."    Apoc.  xx.  8. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  301 

It  also  refers  to  the  future  prosperous  state  of  that  city  as 
foretold  by  the  prophet  Zachary :  "  Jerusalem  shall  be  inhabit- 
ed without  walls,"  says  he,  "by  reason  of  the  multitude  of 
men,  and  of  the  beasts  in  the  midst  thereof,"  ii.  4. — Ezechiel 
proceeds  to  give  the  reason  of  Gog's  invading  Judaea. 

V.  11.  *'  To  take  spoils  and  lay  hold  on  the  prey,  to  lay 
thy  hand  upon  them  that  had  been  wasted,  and  afterwards 
restored,  and  upon  the  people  that  is  gathered  together  out  of 
the  nations,  which  hath  begun  to  possess  and  to  dwell  in  the 
midst  of  the  earth."  Here  is  the  intent  of  Gog's  coming,  viz. 
to  plunder  the  converted  Jews  and  Christians  that  are  settled 
in  Judaea,  and  who  are  come  into  possession  of  the  immense 
spoils  of  Antichrist's  army,  as  we  learn  from  the  prophet 
Zachary,  who  speaks  thus  of  the  abundance  of  those  spoils: 
*'  And  the  riches  of  all  nations  round  about  shall  be  gathered 
together,  gold,  and  silver,  and  garments  in  great  abundance," 
xiv.  14. 

V.  16.  "And  thou,  Gog,  shalt  come,"  continues  Ezechiel, 
*'  upon  my  people  of  Israel  like  a  cloud,  to  cover  the  earth. 
Thou  shalt  be  in  the  latter  days,  and  I  will  bring  thee  upon 
my  land :  that  the  nations  may  know  me,  when  I  shall  be 
sanctified  in  thee,  O  Gog,  before  their  eyes. 

V.  17.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  God:  Thou  then  art  he,  of 
whom  I  have  spoken  in  the  days  of  old,  by  my  servants,  the 
prophets  of  Israel,  who  prophesied  in  the  days  of  those  times 
that  I  would  bring  thee  upon  them:"  namely  by  the  prophets 
Isaiah  and  Joel,  as  we  shall  see  presently,  besides  Ezechiel. 

V.  18.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  in  the  day 
of  the  coming  of  Gog  upon  the  land  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord 
Gog,  that  my  indignation  shall  come  up  in  my  wrath. 

V.  19.  "  And  I  have  spoken  in  my  zeal,  and  in  the  fire  of 
my  anger,  that  in  that  day  there  shall  be  a  great  commotion 
in  the  land  of  Israel. 

V.  20.  *'  So  that  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  birds  of  the 
air,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  every  creeping  thing  that 
creeps  upon  the  ground,  and  all  men  that  are  on  the  face  of 
the  earth,  shall  be  moved  at  my  presence :  and  the  mountains 
shall  be  thrown  down,  and  the  hedges  shall  fall,  and  every 
wall  shall  fall  to  the  ground."  Here  is  mention  of  different 
alarming  signs  that  will  happen  about  that  time,  some  of  which 
are  similar  to  the  following,  related  by  St.  John,  under  the 
sixth  seal :  "  every  mountain,  and  the  islands  were  moved  out 
of  their  places:  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  princes, 
an-'^  tne  tribunes,  and  the  rich,  and  the  strong,  and  every 
26 


802  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

bondman,  and  every  freedman,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and 
in  the  rocks  of  mountains."  Apoc.  vi.  14,  15. 

V.  21.  "  And  I  will  call  in,"  continues  Ezechiel,  "  the  sword 
against  him  in  all  my  mountains,  saith  the  Lord  God:  every 
man's  sword  shall  be  pointed  against  his  brother. 

V.  22.  "  And  I  will  judge  him  with  pestilence,  and  with 
blood,  and  with  violent  rain,  and  vast  hailstones  :  I  will  rain 
fire  and  brimstone  upon  him  and  upon  his  army,  and  upon 
the  many  nations  that  are  with  him."  Here  we  see  in  what 
manner  the  Almighty  w^ill  destroy  Gog  with  all  his  army  in 
the  mountains  of  Judaea,  by  turning  ever}^  man's  sword  against 
his  brother,  by  pestilence,  by  violent  rain,  and  vast  hailstones  ; 
and  in  fine,  he  will  rain  fire  and  brimstone  upon  them.  To 
the  same  the  royal  psalmist  seems  to  allude,  saying ;  "  The 
Lord  shall  rain  snares  upon  sinners  :  fire  and  brimstone  and 
storms  of  wind  shall  be  the  portion  of  their  cup."  Psalm  x.  7, 
St.  John  also  gives  us  their  destruction  in  few  words,  but  to 
the  same  purpose :  "  And  there  came  down  fire  from  God 
out  of  heaven,"  says  he,  "and  devoured  them."  Apoc.  xv.  9. 
And  thus  is  fulfilled  what  God  had  promised  by  his  prophet 
Zachary :  "  I  will  be  to  Jerusalem,  saith  the  Lord,,  a  wall  of 
fire  round  about,"  ii.  5.  The  Almighty  again,  speaking  by 
his  prophet  Isaiah,  after  proclaiming  his  future  vengeance 
upon  the  Anti-christian  Babylon,  proceeds  to  announce  also 
his  judgments  upon  Gog  in  the  same  terrible  language,  styling 
that  prince  the  Assyrian,  on  account  of  his  reigning  over  the 
country  formerly  called  Assyria :  "  So  shall  it  fall  out,"  says 
God,  "  that  I  will  destroy  the  Assyrian  in  my  land,  and  upon 
my  mountains  tread  him  under  foot :  and  his  yoke  shall  be 
taken  away  from  them,  and  his  burthen  shall  be  taken  ofi'  their 
shoulders."  Isaiah  xv.  25.  And  again:  "And  the  Lord 
shall  make  the  glory. of  his  voice  to  be  heard,  and  shall  show 
the  terror  of  his  arm,  in  the  threatening  of  wrath,  and  the 
flame  of  devouring  fire ;  he  shall  crush  to  pieces  with  whirl- 
wind and  hailstones.  For  at  the  voice  of  the  Lord  the  Assy- 
rian shall  fear  being  struck  with  the  rod."   Isa.  xxx.  30,  31. 

Ezechiel  having  described  the  fate  of  Gog  by  anticipation,  is 
told  to  return  to  the  historical  account  of  him : 

Chap,  xxxix.  1.  "  And  thou.  Son  of  man,  prophecy  against 
Gog,  and  say :  thus  saith  the  Lord  God :  behold  I  come 
against  thee,  O  Gog,  the  chief  prince  of  Mosoch  and  ThubaL 

V.  2.  "  And  I  will  turn  thee  round,  and  will  lead  thee  out, 
and  will  inake  thee  go  up  from  the  northern  parts,  and  will 
bring  thee  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  203 

"V.  3.  "  And  1  will  break  thy  bow  in  thy  left  hand,  and  I 
will  cause  thy  arrows  to  fall  out  of  thy  right  hand. 

V.  4.  "  Thou  shalt  fall  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel,  thou, 
and  all  thy  bands,  and  thy  nations  that  are  with  thee :  I  have 
given  thee  to  the  wild  beasts,  to  the  birds,  and  to  every  fowl, 
and  to  the  beasts  of  the  earth  to  be  devoured. 

V.  5.  "  Thou  shalt  fall  upon  the  face  of  the  field :  for  I 
have  spoken  it,  saith  the  Lord  God."  With  this  account 
coincides  what  the  Almighty  promises  the  Jews  by  the  pro- 
phet Joel :  "  I  will  remove  far  off  from  you,"  says  he,  "  the 
northern  enemy :  and  I  will  drive  him  into  a  land  unpassable, 
and  desert,  with  his  face  towards  the  east  sea,  and  his  hinder 
part  towards  the  utmost  sea :  and  his  stink  shall  ascend,  and 
his  rottenness  shall  go  up,  because  he  has  done  proudly,"  ii. 
20.  Here  the  northern  enemy  points  out  Gog,  Avho,  accord- 
ing to  Ezechiel,  comes  from  the  northern  parts,  v.  2.  He  is 
driven  into  a  land  unpassable,  that  is,  into  the  mountains  of 
Israel,  v.  2,  where  he  is  placed  between  the  east  or  Dead  sea, 
and  the  utmost  or  Mediterranean  sea.  In  these  mountains, 
after  that  fire  from  heaven  has  slain  him  and  his  people,  their 
carcasses  shall  lie  to  infect  the  air  with  stench  and  rottenness. 
— The  Lord  continues  to  speak  by  Ezechiel : 

V.  6.  "  And  I  will  send  a  fire  on  Magog,  and  on  them 
that  dwell  confidently  in  the  islands  ;  and  they  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord."  Does  not  this  perhaps  mean,  that  at 
the  time  that  Gog  perishes,  fire  will  also  be  sent  to  make  de- 
struction in  Magog,  his  own  country,  and  in  the  islands  that 
are  confederated  with  him  ? 

V.  7.  "  And  I  will  make  my  holy  name  known  in  the  midst 
of  my  people  Israel ;  and  my  holy  name  shall  be  profaned 
no  more :  and  the  Gentiles  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord, 
the  holy  one  of  Israel. 

V.  8.  "  Behold  it  cometh,  and  it  is  done,  saith  the  Lord 
God  :  this  is  the  day  whereof  I  have  spoken. 

V.  9.  "  And  the  inhabitants  shall  go  forth  of  the  cities  of 
Israel,  and  shall  set  on  fire  and  burn  the  weapons,  the  shields, 
and  the  spears,  the  bows  and  the  arrows,  and  the  hand  staves, 
and  the  pikes:  and  they  shall  burn  them  with  fire  seven 
years. 

V.  10.  "And  they  shall  not  bring  wood  out  of  the  coun- 
tries, nor  cut  down  out  of  the  forests :  for  they  shall  burn  the 
weapons  with  fire,  and  shall  make  a  prey  of  them  to  whom 
they  had  been  a  prey,  and  they  shall  rob  those  that  robbed 
them,  saith  the  Lord  God. 


304  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V,  11.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  I  will 
give  Gog  a  noted  place  for  a  sepulchre  in  Israel :  the  valley  of 
the  passengers  on  the  east  of  the  sea,  which  shaM  cause  as- 
tonishment in  them  that  pass  by:  and  there' shall  they  bury 
Gog,  and  all  his  multitude,  and  it  shall  be  called  the  valley 
of  the  mukitude  of  Gog. 

V.  12,  "  And  the  house  of  Israel  shall  bury  them  for  seven 
months  to  cleanse  the  land. 

V.  13.  "  And  the  people  of  the  land  shall  bury  him,  and  it 
shall  be  unto  them  a  noted  day,  wherein  I  was  glorified,  saith 
the  Lord  God, 

V.  14.  "And  they  shall  appoint  men  to  go  continually 
about  the  land,  to  bury  and  to  seek  out  them  that  were  re- 
maining upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  that  they  may  cleanse  it: 
and  after  seven  months  they  shall  begin  to  seek. 

V.  15.  "  And  they  shall  go  about  passing  through  the  land ' 
and  when  they  shall  see  the  bone  of  a  man,  they  shall  set  up 
a  sign  by  it,  till  the  buriers  bury  it  in  the  valley  of  the  multi- 
tude of  Gog. 

V.  16.  "And  the  name  of  the  city  shall  be  Amona,*  and 
they  shall  cleanse  the  land. 

V.  17.  "And  thou,  O  son  of  man,  saith  the  Lord  God,  say 
to  every  fowl,  and  to  all  the  birds,  and  to  all  the  beasts  of  the 
field:  Assemble  yourselves,  make  haste,  come  together  from 
every  side  to  my  victim,  which  I  slay  for  you,  a  great  victim 
upon  the  mountains  of  Israel ;  to  eat  fltsh,  and  drink  blood. 

V.  18.  "You  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  the  mighty,  and  you 
shall  drink  the  blood  of  the  princes  of  the  earth :  of  rams, 
and  of  lambs,  and  of  he-goats,  and  bullocks,  and  of  all  that 
are  well  fed  and  fat. 

V.  19.  "  And  you  shall  eat  the  fat  till  you  be  full,  and  shall 
drink  blood  till  you  be  drunk,  of  the  victim  which  I  shall  slay 
for  you. 

V.  20.  "And  you  shall  be  filled  at  my  table  with  horses, 
and  mighty  horsemen,  and  all  the  men  of  war,  saith  the  Lord 
God. 

V.  21.  "And  I  will  set  my  glory  among  the  nations:  and 
all  nations  shall  see  my  judgment  that  I  have  executed,  and 
my  hand  that  I  have  laid  upon  them." 

Thus  is  Gog  and  his  whole  army  exterminated.  They  are 
not  allowed  to  reach  Jerusalem,  but  are  stopped  by  the  divine 
hand  at  a  distance  in  the  mountains  of  Juda;a,  where  by  fire 

*  Multitude. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  305 

from  heaven  and  other  terrible  judgments,  they  all  perish. 
And  thus  ends  that  impious  enterprise  of  Gog,  of  which  we 
have  been  reading  in  Ezechiel  a  full  history  rather  than  a 
prophecy. 

Satan  is  here  again  defeated ;  nor  is  he  now  allowed  to 
make  further  attempts.  He  has  done  immense  mischief,  by 
seducing  mankind  into  idolatry,  and  raising  up  a  most  hor- 
rible persecution  against  the  faithful  servants  of  God.  He 
has  by  his  agents  desolated  countries,  and  destroyed  a  prodi- 
gious multitude  of  the  human  race:  "for  he  was  a  murderer 
from  the  beginning."  John  viii.  44.  But,  though  he  has  act- 
ed by  the  suggestion  of  his  own  malice  and  hatred  against 
God  and  man,  yet  it  has  not  been  done  without  the  Almighty's 
permission,  and  it  all  serves  the  unfathomable  purposes  of  di- 
vine wisdom.  But  now  the  period  of  the  releasement  of  Satan 
is  elapsed,  in  consequence  of  which  St.  John  informs  us : 

Chap.  XX.  9.  "  And  the  devil  who  seduced  them,  was  cast 
into  the  pool  of  fire  and  brimstone, 

V.  10.  "  Where*  both  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  shall 
be  tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever."  Here  the 
prince  of  the  infernal  regions  is  cast  down  again  into  his  pri- 
son, there  to  be  closed  up ;  and  is  plunged  into  the  lake  of 
hell-fire,  there  to  be  tormented  for  evermore  with  Antichrist 
and  the  false  prophet.  One  may  suppose  that  the  greatest 
part  of  his  hellish  crew  are  banished  along  with  him,  to  under- 
go the  same  fate.  Some  determinate  number  of  them  may 
perhaps  be  permitted  to  remain  upon  earth  to  tempt  mankind: 
as  seemed  to  be  the  case  when  Satan  was  bound  up  in  the 
abyss  after  the  persecutions  of  the  first  Christian  ages :  but 
the  power  of  these  fiends  will  be  circumscribed  within  much 
narrower  bounds  than  it  was  before. 

One  cannot  but  here  take  notice,  that  our  incomparable 
prophet  opens  to  us  a  particular  piece  of  history,  which  we 
were  little  acquainted  with,  namely,  that  of  Satan,  the  prince  of 
the  apostate  angels.  In  chapter  xii.  we  see  him  falling  doAvn 
from  heaven  with  his  proud  associates.  We  see  his  charac- 
ter described,  and  among  other  names  there  given  him,  he 
is  styled  the  old  serpent,  that  is,  the  very  serpent  which  de- 
ceived Eve,  and  by  her  seduction  ruined  all  mankind.  After 
having  done  that  mischief,  he  proceeded  by  crafty  insinuation 
to  work  upon  mankind,  and  prevailed  upon  the  greatest  part 

*  In  the  Greek,  "  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are.  And  they 
shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever." 

26* 


306  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

of  them  to  abandon  the  worship  of  their  Creator,  and  to  sub- 
stitute idolatry  in  its  place;  that  is,  in  reality,  the  worship  of 
Satan  himself,  and  thus  he  seduced  the  whole  world.  At  the 
rise  of  Christianity,  we  see  him  exerting  his  utmost  efforts  to 
crush  it  in  its  birth:  for  which  purpose  he  stimulated  the  Ro- 
man emperors,  and  others,  to  oppose  with  all  their  might  the 
propagation  of  the  Christian  religion.  Christ,  with  his  supe- 
rior power,  frustrated  all  these  attempts ;  and  expelled  Satan 
from  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  confined  him  in  the  infernal 
dungeon,  Apoc.  ch.  xx. ;  where  he  is  to  remain  for  an  appoint- 
ed period  of  time,  after  the  expiration  of  which  he  will  be  re- 
leased for  a  short  while.  His  employment  will  then  be  to  re- 
establish idolatry,  and  to  persecute  the  Christian  religion. 
Antichrist  will  be  his  great  instrument  for  these  purposes. 
But  after  the  extermination  of  that  son  of  perdition,  and  the 
destruction  of  Gog,  Satan  himself  will  then  be  remanded  back 
to  his  infernal  prison,  never  more  to  go  forth  from  it. — Now 
to  resume  the  thread  of  our  history  : 

The  expulsion  of  Satan  from  the  earth,  who  was  the  author 
of  idolatry,  and  the  extermination  of  Antichrist,  who  was  its 
supporter,  are  followed  by  the  extirpation  of  idolatry  itself. 
For  such  seems  to  be  the  language  of  the  prophets :  "  The 
loftiness  of  men  shall  be  bowed  down,"  says  Isaiah,  "and  the 
haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  humbled,  and  the  Lord  alone  shall 
be  exalted  in  that  day.  And  idols  shall  be  utterl}/-  destroyed," 
ii.  17,  18.  Thus  also  speaks  the  prophet  Sophonias:  "The 
Lord  shall  be  terrible  upon  them,  and  shall  consume  all  the 
gods  of  the  earth,"  ii.  11,  In  like  manner  we  see  the  same 
work  of  the  divine  hand  announced  to  us  by  the  prophet  Za- 
chary:  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  that  I  will  destroy  the  names  of  idols  out  of  the  earth, 
and  they  shall  be  remembered  no  more,"  xiii.  2.  It  is  fit  the 
offspring  should  follow  the  parent,  and  that  idolatry  should 
disappear  with  Satan. 

And  now  we  seem  to  be  arrived  at  the  glorious  epocha  of 
the  triumph  of  the  Church  over  all  her  enemies.  The  tyrants, 
that  domineered  over  her,  are  crushed ;  the  boisterous  winds 
of  persecution  are  ceased  ;  and  the  anger  of  God,  before  in- 
flamed by  the  excessive  wickedness  of  mankind,  is  now  ap- 
peased and  gives  way  to  mercy.  Idolatry  is  vanished,  and 
the  Cross  of  Christ  is  the  sole  standard  that  is  acknowledged 
and  resorted  to.  Christ  has  suppressed  all  adverse  powers, 
both  earthly  and  infernal,  and  now  extends  his  dominion  from 
one  extremity  of  the  earth  to  the  other.     People  and  kings 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  307 

equally  bow  down  to  receive  his  commands,  and  join  in  pro- 
fessing their  submission  to  his  Church,  as  we  learn  from 
Daniel :  "  And  judgment  shall  sit,''  says  he,  "  that  the  king- 
dom and  power,  and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom,  under  the 
whole  heaven,  may  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the 
Most  High:  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and 
all  kings  shall  serve  him  and  shall  obey  him,"  vii.  26,  27. 
*'  He  shall  rule  from  sea  to  sea,"  says  the  psalmist  speaking 
of  Christ,  "  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth — 
And  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  adore  him  ;  all  nations 
shall  serve  him."     Psalm  Ixx.  8,  1 1. 

The  prophet  Zachary  acquaints  us  of  the  same,  thus : 
*'  And  the  Lord  shall  be  king  over  all  the  earth  :  in  that  day 
there  shall  be  one  Lord,  and  his  name  shall  be  one,"  xiv.  9 : 
his  name  shall  be  one,  or  there  shall  be  but  one  religion  over 
the  whole  earth.  These  are  the  halcyon  days  of  the  Christ- 
ian people,  during  which  the  Almighty  pours  forth  the  abun- 
dance of  his  spiritual  and  temporal  blessings.  To  the  storms 
of  persecution  and  war  succeed  the  calm  of  peace  and  the 
sunshine  of  joy  and  prosperity.  And  to  this  period  seems  to 
belong  the  following  admonition: 

Apoc.  xiv.  13.  *'  And  I  heard,"  says  St.  John,  "  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying  to  me :  Write,  blessed  are  the  dead  who  die 
in  the  Lord  For  henceforth  now,  saith  the  spirit,  that  they 
may  rest  from  their  labours:  for  their  works  follow  them." 
Or  rather,  according  to  the  Greek  text :  "  Blessed  are  the 
dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth.  Certainly,  saith 
the  spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labours :  but  their 
works  follow  them."  Those  are  here  pronounced  blessed, 
who  from  henceforth,  that  is,  from  the  time  of  the  extermina- 
tion of  Antichrist  and  all  external  enemies,  or  who,  during 
the  time  of  peace,  having  no  expectations  of  the  crown  of  mar- 
tyrdom, nevertheless  live  in  the  constant  practice  of  virtue, 
and  so  merit  to  die  in  the  favour  of  their  Lord.  The  Spirit 
or  Holy  Ghost  confirms  the  sentence  of  their  happiness,  not 
only  because  at  the  moment  of  their  departure  their  hard  la-, 
hours  and  penitential  exercises  cease,  but  their  souls  are  ad- 
mitted to  a  glorious  immortality,  the  recompense  of  their  good 
works. 

Such  is  the  extraordinary  happiness  of  this  period  of  time, 
that,  as  in  the  days  of  the  birth  of  Christianity,  so  now  the 
supernatural  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  descend  plentifully  upon 
the  zealous  Christians.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  after  this," 
says  the  Lord  by  Joel,  "  that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

all  flesh  :  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy  : 
your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams,  and  your  young  men  shall 
see  visions.  Moreover,  upon  my  servants  and  handmaids  in 
those  days  I  will  pour  forth  my  Spirit.  And  I  will  show 
wonders  in  heaven,  and  in  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and  vapour 
of  smoke.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness  and  the 
moon  into  blood ;  before  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 
Lord  does  come,"  ii.  28,  &c.  While  the  bounties  of  God 
flow  in  a  full  stream  upon  mankind,  we  see  nevertheless  he 
thinks  fit  to  send,  at  times,  warnings  of  the  approaching  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,  by  signs,  and  wonders  in  hea- 
ven and  earth,  agreeably  to  what  we  read  in  the  Apocalypse 
under  the  sixth  seal.  The  all-bountiful  God  desires,  that  all 
should  watch  and  be  prepared  for  the  great  day  of  judgment, 
which  may  be  supposed  not  to  be  far  distant  at  that  time. 
For  the  same  reason  Christ,  after  "the  battle  of  the  great  day 
of  the  Almighty  God,"  Apoc.  xvi.  14,  immediately  proclaims; 
"  Behold  I  come  as  a  thief  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and 
keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his 
shame."  Blessed  is  the  man,  that  keepeth  solicitously  his 
garments  of  virtue  and  good  works,  lest  at  Christ's  coming 
he  be  found  naked  and  exposed  to  shame  and  condemnation. 

If  we  turn  our  eyes  on  another  side,  we  see  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture, exhibited  to  us  by  the  prophets,  of  the  temporal  prosperi- 
ty which  w^ill  be  enjoyed  at  this  period  of  time  by  the  Jews, 
that  is,  the  Jews  changed  into  Christians,  under  whose  name 
may  be  comprehended  the  whole  body  of  the  Christian  peo- 
ple. Among  the  many  passages  relating  to  this  subject,  we 
shall  recite  a  few. 

Joel,  after  describing  the  great  slaughter  in  the  vale  of  Josa- 
phat,  thus  continues. 

Chap.  iii.  17.  "  And  you  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord 
^j-our  God,  dwelling  in  Sion,  my  holy  mountain:  and  Jerusa- 
lem shall  be  holy,  and  strangers  shall  pass  through  it  no  more. 

V.  18.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the 
mountains  shall  drop  down  sweetness,  and  the  hills  shall  flow 
with  milk:  and  waters  shall  flow  through  all  the  rivers  of 
Juda :  and  a  fountain  shall  come  forth  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  shall  water  the  torrent  of  thorns. 

V.  19.  "  Egypt  shall  be  a  desolation,  and  Edom  a  wilder- 
ness destroyed :  because  they  have  done  unjustly  against  the 
children  of  Juda,  and  have  shed  innocent  blood  in  their  land. 

V.  20.  "And  Judaea  shall  be  inhabited  for  ever,  and  Jeru- 
salem to  generation  and  generation." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  309 

Ezechiel  speaks  in  the  following  manner : 

Chap,  xxxvii.  21.  "And  thou  shalt  say  to  them:  thus 
saith  the  Lord  God :  behold,  I  will  take  the  children  of  Is- 
rael from  the  midst  of  the  nations  whither  they  are  gone : 
and  I  will  gather  them  on  every  side,  and  will  bring  them  to 
their  own  land, 

V.  24.  "  And  my  servant  David*  shall  be  king  over  them, 
and  they  shall  have  one  shepherd,  they  shall  walk  in  my 
judgments,  and  shall  keep  my  commandments,  and  shall  do 
them. 

V.  25.  *'  And  they  shall  dwell  in  the  land  which  I  gave  to 
my  servant  Jacob,  wherein  your  fathers  dwelt,  and  they  shall 
dwell  in  it,  they  and  their  children,  and  their  children's  child- 
ren, for  ever :  and  David  my  servant  shall  be  their  prince  for 
ever. 

V.  26.  "And  I  will  make  a  covenant  of  peace  with  them; 
it  shall  be  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them :  and  I  will  es- 
tablish them,  and  will  multiply  them,  and  will  set  my  sanc- 
tuary in  the  midst  of  them  for  ever,"  &c. 

The  same  prophet,  after  relating  the  destruction  of  Gog, 
pursues  thus,  or  rather  the  Almighty  by  his  mouth  : 

Chap,  xxxix.  22.  "  And  the  house  of  Israel  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord  their  God  from  that  day  and  forward. — 

V.  26.  "  And  they  shall  hear  their  confusion,  and  all  the 
transgressions  wherewith  they  have  transgressed  against  me, 
when  they  shall  dwell  in  their  land  securely,  fearing  no  man. — 

V.  28.  "  And  they  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  their 
God,  because  I  caused  them  to  be  carried  away  among  the 
nations :  and  I  have  gathered  them  together  unto  their  own 
land,  and  have  not  left  any  of  them  there. 

V.  29.  "  And  I  will  hide  my  face  no  more  from  them,  for 
1  have  poured  out  my  spirit  upon  all  the  house  of  Israel, 
saith  the  Lord  God." 

The  prophet  Amos  gives  us  also  a  pleasing  description  of 
the  same  prosperity. 

Chap.  ix.  13.  "  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord, 
when  the  ploughman  shall  overtake  the  reaper,  and  the  treader 
of  the  grapes  of  him  that  soweth  seed  :  and  the  mountains  shall 
drop  sweetness,  and  every  hill  shall  be  tilled. 

V.  14.  "  And  I  will  bring  back  the  captivity  of  my  people 
Israel :  and  they  shall  build  the  abandoned  cities,  and  inhabit 
them :  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  shall  drink  the 

*  Christ,  the  Messiah. 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

wine  of  them ;  and  shall  make  gardens,  and  eat  the  fruits  of 
them.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon  their  own  land  :  and  £ 
will  no  more  pluck  them  out  of  their  land,  which  I  have  given 
them,  saith  the  Lord  thy  God."  Such  is  this  remarkable  asra 
of  peace,  prosperity,  and  spiritual  blessings. 

One  may  naturally  suppose  that  the  Christians,  at  their 
emerging  from  the  severe  trials  they  had  been  subjected  to, 
were  uncommonly  full  of  zeal  and  religious  fervour:  and  so 
it  seems  to  be  intimated  by  the  above-cited  passages  out  of  the 
prophets.  But  the  human  mind  from  its  native  inconstancy 
soon  forgets  the  greatest  troubles,  when  they  are  passed. 
Prosperity  also  is  a  charm  generally  productive  of  inattention 
and  neglect,  and  contributes  much  to  revive  in  man  his  natu- 
ral propensity  to  licentiousness.  Such  will  be  the  case  of  this 
last  period  of  time,  in  w^hich  mankind  will  gradually  relax  in 
their  fervour,  and  degenerate  in  their  morals.  Our  Saviour 
has  told  us  to  beware  of  the  last  day,  to  watch,  and  he  ready 
to  appear  before  him  at  the  bar  of  judgment:  "  Watch  ye," 
says  he,  "  because  ye  know  not  w^hat  hour  your  Lord  will 
come.  Be  you  ready,  because  at  what  hour  ye  know  not, 
the  Son  of  man  will  come."  Matt.  xxiv.  42,  44.  And  again 
he  Speaks  in  the  Apocalypse : — "  Behold  I  come  as  a  thief," 
xvi.  15.  St.  Peter  also  gives  us  the  same  Avarning :  "  The 
day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief"  2  Pet.  iii.  ?  0.  But 
these  admonitions  will  by  degrees  lose  their  influence,  and  be 
forgotten,  the  human  passions  will  recover  their  power,  and 
the  pleasures  of  the  world  will  become  again  the  common 
pursuit  of  men;  as  we  learn  from  our  Saviour's  own  words; 
"  As  in  days  of  Noe,"  says  he,  "  so  shall  also  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man  be.  For  as  in  the  days  before  the  flood,  they 
were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage, 
even  till  that  in  which  Noe  entered  into  the  ark.  And  they 
knew  not  till  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all  away  :  so  also 
shall  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be  "  Matt,  xxiv.  37,  38, 
39.  Thus  then  the  generality  of  mankind  having  degene- 
rated into  a  state  of  forgetfulness  of  God,  employed  now"  in 
indulging  themselves  in  sensual  gratifications,  unmindful  of 
all  the  ominous  alarming  signs  that  had  preceded,  and  the 
repeated  admonitions  given  them,  Behold!  The  seventh  seal 
is  opened. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  311 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

THE   HISTORY  OF  THE  SEVENTH  AGE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

TAc  seventh  Seed  is  opened. 

Apoc,  viii.  I.  "  And  when  he  (the  Lamb)  had  opened  the 
seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in  heaven,  as  it  were  for  half 
an  hour."  The  Lamb  having  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there 
follows  a  silence  in  heaven  f(jr  a  while,  in  appearance  about 
half  an  hour.  During  this  time  the  Almighty  thinks  fit  to 
disclose  to  the  whole  heavenly  court  of  angels  and  saints,  his 
eternal  and  inscrutable  decrees  respecting  mankind  and  the 
existence  of  this  world.*  The  heavenly  auditory  attend  in 
silence  and  with  profound  respect,  while  he  graciously  un- 
folds to  them  the  whole  system  of  economy,  by  which  he  has 
governed  the  world  ever  since  its  creation,  and  the  whole 
course  of  his  great  and  merciful  dispensations  to  man.  The 
Almighty  is  willing  to  display  before  them  the  immense  and 
superabundLint  store  of  blessings,  that  have  flowed  from  the 
inexhaustible  source  of  his  paternal  affection  upon  mankind, 
ever  since  the  first  moment  of  their  existence.  He  shows 
that  his  tenderness  and  bounty  towards  mankind  have  been 
without  measure,  and  that  if  a  great  number  of  them  perish, 
their  perdition  is  owing  to  themselves.  He  then  makes  known 
his  intention  of  putting  an  immediate  stop  to  the  whole  human 
race,  and  bringing  them  to  judgment ;  he  signifies,  that  the 
time  he  had  fixed  for  the  existence  of  the  world  is  now  ex- 
pired, and  he  is  now  going  to  put  an  end  to  it.f    Upon  which 

The  seventh  Trumpet  sounds. 

Chap.  xi.  15.  "  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded  the  trum- 
pet:   and   there  were  great   voices   in   heaven,   saying:    the 

*  This  he  does,  not  In  words,  but  by  secret  interior  communication,  such 
as  is  suitable  to  the  nature  of  spirits. 

t  That  such  are,  in  part,  the  divine  intimations  on  this  occasion,  may  be 
collected  from  the  applauses  of  the  heavenly  choirs  expressed  in  the  f;)I- 
iowing  trumpet.  As  upon  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal  the  period  of  the 
world  finishes,  it  is  just  that  at  that  time  the  wise  and  bountiful  economy 
of  Christ  through  the  whole  government  of  his  Church  should  be  ac- 
knowledged. For  that  reason  benediction  or  praise  was  solemnly  offered 
to  the  Lamb.    Apoc.  v.  12.    Seepage  43. 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  our  Lord's  and  his  Christ's, 
and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

V.  ]  6.  "  And  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  who  sit  on 
their  seats  in  the  sight  of  God,  fell  on  their  faces,  and  adored 
God, 

V.  17.  "Saying:  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty, who  art,  and  who  wast,  and  who  art  to  come :  be- 
cause thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  thou 
hast  reigned, 

V.  18.  "And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is 
come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be  judged, 
and  that  thou  shouldst  render  reward  to  thy  servants  the 
prophets  and  the  saints,  and  to  them  that  fear  thy  name,  little 
and  great,  and  shouldst  destroy  them  who  have  corrupted* 
the  earth. 

V.  19.  "And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  Heaven: 
and  the  ark  of  his  Testament  was  seen  in  his  temple,  and 
there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,!  and  an  earthquake,  and 
great  hail." 

On  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  which  follows  on 
the  Almighty  concluding  the  communication  of  his  councils, 
all  the  heavenly  choirs  break  out  into  acclamations  and  ap- 
plause, saying:  "The  kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  our 
Lord's  and  his  Christ's,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and 
ever:"  or,  praise  be  to  the  Lord,  because  he  is  going  to  take 
possession  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  &c.  Thus,  they 
acknowledge  it  is  time  that  he  should  suffer  no  longer  any 
human  power  to  reign ;  but  that  He,  Omnipotent,  with  his 
eternal  Son,  the  Christ,  should  assume  all  dominion,  and 
sway  for  ever.  Then  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  v.  16,  17, 
whom  we  saw  from  the  beginning  sitting  round  the  throne  of 
God,  fall  down  prostrate  before  the  Almighty,  and  offering 
their  homage,  give  him  thanks  also  for  assuming  all  power 
into  his  hands,  as  belonging  solely  to  himself,  who  is,  who  was, 
and  who  is  to  come;  that  is,  who  is  the  beginning  and  end  of 
all  things,  who  was  the  Creator,  is  the  Conservator,  and  will 
come  presently  as  the  Judge,  of  all  mankind.  The  ancients 
continue  to  say:  "the  nations  were  angry,"  v.  18.,  mankind 
in  different  ages  abandoned  thee,  their  God,  rebelled  against 
thee,  and  set  up  the  infamous  worship  of  idols ;  they  endea- 
voured to  exterminate  thy  holy  name  from  the  earth,  and 

♦  In  the  Greek  "  who  destroy  the  earth." 
t  Here  the  Greek  text  adds,     thunderings," 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  313 

they  waged  war  against  thy  people ;  but  thy  wrath  is  come, 
and  it  is  just  it  should  now  at  last  overtake  them,  and  punish 
them  according  to  their  deserts.  We  are  glad  the  time  of  the 
dead  is  come,  that  they  should  be  judged,  «fec.  the  course  of 
human  nature  has  run  a  sufficient  period ;  it  is  now  fit  and 
just,  that  judgment  should  be  passed  upon  the  whole  race  of 
men,  that  your  faithful  servants  may  receive  the  full  reward 
they  have  deserved,  and  your  enemies  be  destroyed,  or  a  final 
period  be  put  to  the  efforts  of  the  wicked,  who  are  labouring 
to  subvert  your  holy  worship,  and  again  to  corrupt  mankind. 
Thus  the  whole  company  of  angels  and  saints  express  their 
approbation  of  the  divine  decrees  and  declarations  which  the 
Almighty  had  condescended  to  communicate  to  them. 

Then  "the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  the  ark 
of  his  testament  (or  covenant)  was  seen  in  his  temple,"  v.  19. 
This  passage  alludes  to  the  sanctuary  or  holy  of  holies  of  the 
temple  in  Jerusalem,  which  was  kept  shut,  and  contained  the 
ark  of  the  covenant.  The  ark  Avas  ordered  by  Almighty  God 
to  be  thus  kept  as  a  monument  and  testimony  of  the  covenant 
he  had  made  with  the  Jews.  And  as  the  opening  of  the  sanc- 
tuary at  Jerusalem,  when  the  veil  that  hung  before  it,  was 
rent  in  two  at  our  Saviour's  death,  showed  that  the  Jewish 
covenant  was  then  fulfilled  and  terminated  ;  so  here,  the  tem- 
ple or  sanctuary  of  God  in  heaven  is  opened,  and  the  ark  of 
his  covenant  with  the  whole  human  race  is  exposed  fully  to 
view,  to  indicate  that  God  has  now  fulfilled  his  covenant  or  all 
his  engagements  with  mankind  relative  to  this  world,  which 
is  therefore  now  to  be  put  an  end  to. 

We  had  heard  the  angel  that  stood  upon  the  sea  and  land, 
Apoc.  X.  5,  6,  solemnly  proclaim,  that  at  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet,  time  shall  be  no  more.  The  trumpet  has 
sounded,  and  here  then  is  finishing  the  period  of  time  allotted 
for  the  existence  of  the  world.  The  destruction  of  the  whole 
frame  of  the  universe  follows,  and  is  ushered  in  by  the  terri- 
fying alarms  mentioned  above :  and  there  were  lightnings 
and  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail, 
V.  19.   Upon  which  immediately 

The  seventh  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God  is  poured  out. 

Chap.  xvi.  17.  "  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
upon  the  air,  and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple 
from  the  throne,  saying :  '  It  is  done  !' 

V.  18.  "  And  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thun- 
ders, and  there  was  a  ereat  earthquake,  such  a  one  as  never 
27 


314  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

had  been  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  such  an  earthquake, 
so  great. 

V.  19.  "  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts : 
And  the  cities  of  the  Gentiles  fell.  And  great  Babylon  came 
in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  her  the  cup  of  the  wine 
of  the  indignation  of  his  wrath. 

V.  20.  "And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains 
were  not  found. 

V.  21.  "And  great  hail  like  a  talent  came  down  from  hea- 
ven upon  men :  and  men  blasphemed  God  for  the  plague  of 
the  hail :  because  it  was  exceeding  great." 

The  seventh  vial  is  poured  upon  the  air,  which  lies  be- 
tween the  earth  and  the  heavens,  to  indicate  that  the  judg- 
ments of  God  are  going  to  fall  upon  both  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  that  is,  on  the  whole  system  of  the  creation.  "  And 
there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  v.  17,  from  the 
throne  where  sits  the  Almighty,  saying :  it  is  done  :  all  is 
over  :  this  is  the  last  hour  ;  time  shall  be  no  more  !"  Then 
follow  the  dreadful  calamities  of  the  last  hour.  And  there 
were  lightnings,  v.  18,  and  voices,  and  thunders,  and  there 
was  a  great  earthquake,  such  a  one  as  never  had  been  since 
men  were  upon  the  earth,  such  an  earthquake,  so  great.  Here 
is  enough  to  strike  all  the  living  at  that  time  with  dread,  hor- 
ror, and  consternation.  We  saw  the  same  sort  of  disasters 
happen  at  the  sounding  of  the  trumpet,  but  here  they  are  re- 
newed and  aggravated  to  the  most  terrible  degree.  The  hea- 
vens echo  with  the  loudest  and  most  terrifying  thunder ;  the 
sky  is  rent  in  every  part  with  most  dreadful  flashes  of  light- 
ning; and  the  whole  air  resounds  with  horrible  voices  or 
noises. 

The  earth  is  shaken  from  its  foundations  with  an  earthquake, 
such  as  has  never  been  felt  before,  nor  has  ever  entered  into 
man  to  imagine  such  a  one.  The  whole  compages  or  fabric 
of  the  world  is  unhinged  and  falls  to  pieces.  All  is  confusion, 
wreck  and  ruin.  The  great  city  of  Jerusalem,  v.  19,  is  split 
into  three  parts,  and  the  other  cities  of  the  world  fall  to  the 
ground.  But  such  is  the  weight  of  God's  anger  against  the 
great  Babylon,  that  is,  the  two  Babylons,  viz.  pagan  Rome 
and  pagan  Constantinople,  or  against  the  heathen  Roman  em- 
perors and  their  people,  and  against  Antichrist  and  his  peo- 
ple, for  their  impiously  opposing  the  worship  of  him  to  give 
place  to  idolatry,  and  for  their  spilling  so  much  of  the  blood 
of  his  faithful  servants ;  such,  I  say,  is  the  weight  of  God's 
anger  against  them,  that  they  stand  as  the  principal  detestable 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  315 

object  in  his  sight,  and  he  now  resolves  to  make  them  drink 
the  full  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  indignation  of  his  wrath,  by- 
completing  the  measure  of  their  punishment,  in  dooming  their 
bodies  together  with  their  souls  to  burn  in  the  most  scorching 
flames  of  fire  and  sulphur  for  ever. 

Such  is  the  general  concussion  caused  by  the  above-men- 
tioned earthquake,  that  all  the  islands  immediately  vanish,  v. 
20,  being  perhaps  either  sunk  in  the  deep,  or  thrown  against 
the  continent ;  and  of  the  mountains,  some  tumble  to  pieces,  and 
are  levelled  with  the  surface  of  the  earth  by  the  same  cause ; 
others  burst  out  into  volcanoes,  and  by  their  internal  fire  are 
dissolved  and  melted  into  a  fluid  matter.*  Then  follows  a 
storm  of  hail,  v.  21,  infinitely  exceeding  what  had  ever  been 
heard  of:  the  hailstones  are  of  the  weight  of  a  talent,  or  four- 
score pounds :  which  doubtless  must  kill  a  great  number  of 
people.  But,  notwithstanding  such  a  shocking  catastrophe — 
strange  ! — many  will  persist  obstinate  in  their  wicked  dispo- 
sitions, will  not  yield  to  turn  their  hearts  to  repentance  and 
sue  for  pardon  in  these  last  moments,  but  will  even  complete 
their  impiety  by  blaspheming  God  for  these  calamities  which 
they  sutler. 

As  all  mankind  are  sentenced  to  die,  tho-se  that  are  not  car- 
ried off^by  the  disasters  just  mentioned,  will  probably  be  des- 
patched by  the  fire  which  will  go  before  the  Son  of  man  when 
he  comes  to  judgment :  for  so  it  seems  to  be  specified  by  the 
royal  psalmist  with  other  circumstances  relating  to  this  terri- 
ble day:  "A  fire  shall  go  before  him,  (the  Lord,)  and  shall 
burn  his  enemies  round  about.  His  lightnings  have  shone 
forth  to  the  world  :  the  earth  saw  and  trembled.  The  moun- 
tains melted  like  wax  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord ;  at  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord  all  the  earth.  The  heavens  declared  his 
justice,  and  all  people  saw  his  glory."  Psalm  xcvi.  And  again 
in  another  place:  "  The  earth  shook  and  trembled  :  the  foun- 
dations of  the  mountains  were  troubled  and  were  moved  be- 
cause he  (the  Lord)  was  angry  with  them.  There  went  up 
a  smoke  in  his  wrath:  and  a  fire  flamed  from  his  face:  coals 
were  kindled  with  it.     He  bowed  the  heavens  and  came  down, 

and  darkness  was  under  his  feet. And  the  Lord  thundered 

from  heaven,  and  the  Highest  gave  his  voice,  hail  and  coals  of 
fire.  And  he  sent  forth  his  arrows,  and  he  scattered  them  : 
he  multiplied  lightnings  and  troubled  them.     Then  the  foun- 

*  Before  we   saw  the  islands,   and  mountains   "  moved  out  of  their 
places,"  Apoc.  vi.  14.,  but  here  they  entirely  disappear. 


316  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

tains  of  water  appeared,  and  the  foundations  of  the  world  were 
discovered."  Psalm  xvii.  It  is  plain  that  many  of  the  dread- 
ful events  and  convulsions  of  nature  here  expressed  are  the 
same  with  those  related  above  by  St.  John.  Such  will  be  the 
frightful  scenes,  the  universal  confusion  and  destruction  in 
that  day  of  wrath,  that  day  of  tribulation  and  distress,  that  day 
of  calamity  and  misery.  The  prophet  Isaiah  has  also  sketch- 
ed out  to  us  the  outlines  of  that  same  terrifying  picture: 

Chap.  xxiv.  17.  "  Fear,  and  the  pit,  and  the  snare  are  upon 
thee,  O  thou  inhabitant  of  the  earth. 

V.  18.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  he  that  shall  flee  from 
the  noise  of  the  fear,  shall  fall  into  the  pit ;  and  he  that  shall 
rid  himself  out  of  the  pit,  shall  be  taken  in  the  snare ;  for  the 
floodgates  from  on  high  are  opened,  and  the  foundations  of 
the  earth  shall  be  shaken. 

V.  19.  "  With  breaking  shall  the  earth  be  broken,  with 
crushing  shall  the  earth  be  crushed,  with  trembling  shall 
the  earth  be  moved. 

V.  20.  "  With  shaking  shall  the  earth  be  shaken  as  a 
drunken  man,  and  shall  be  removed  as  the  tent  of  one  night ; 
and  the  iniquitj?'  shall  be  heavy  upon  it,  and  it  shall  fall,  and 
shall  not  rise  again." 

The  beautiful  frame  of  the  universe  being  therefore  now 
totally  disfigured,  broken,  torn  to  pieces,  and  reduced  to  a  mere 
wreck,  fire  will  be  the  instrument  the  Almighty  will  use  to 
dissolve  the  vvhole  mass;  as  we  learn  from  St.  Peter, 
2  Epist.  iii.  10.  "  The  day  of  the  Lord  shall  come  as  a  thief, 
in  which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  great  violence, 
the  elements  shall  be  meited  with  heat,  and  the  earth  and  the 
works  that  are  in  it,  shall  be  burnt  up. 

V.  11.  "Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  are  to  be  dis- 
solved, what  manner  of  people  ought  you  to  be  in  holy  con- 
versation and  godliness  ? 

V.  12.  "  Looking  for  and  hasting  unto  the  coming  of 
the  day  of  the  Lord,  by  which  the  heavens  being  on  fire 
shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  the  burn- 
ing heat."  Here  then  we  see  that  the  world  will  be  set  on 
fire,  that  the  heavens  will  be  quickly  dissolved  by  the  prodi- 
gious activity  of  the  fire,  and  so  vanish  :  that  the  earth  will  be 
likewise  burned,  with  tire  works  that  are  in  it,  with  all  that 
it  contains  within  it  or  upon  its  surface  ;  and  that  the  elements, 
namely,  water  and  air,  will  lose  their  fluidity,  and  their  sub- 
stantial parts  will  be  dissolved  or  melted.  "  Heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass  away,"  said  our  Saviour.  Luke  xxi.  33.     But 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  317 

we  must  observe  it  is  not  said  that  they  will  be  wholly  con- 
sumed and  annihilated,  but  dissolved  or  burned,  and  conse- 
quently transformed  into  a  different  appearance,  as  God  shall 
direct. 

But  while  these  stupendous  operations  of  fire  are  subvert- 
ing nature,  and  changing  the  whole  face  of  the  universe,  the 
Son  of  man  descends  from  the  highest  heaven  to  come  and 
judge  mankind.  For,  "  the  Father  doth  not  judge  any  man  ; 
but  hath  given  all  judgment  to  the  Son.  John  v.  22. 

Apoc.  XX.  11.  "And  I  saw,"  says  St.  John,  "a  great 
white  throne,  and  one  sitting  upon  it,  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  heaven  fled  away  and  there  was  no  place  found  for 
them. 

V.  12.  "  And  I  saw  the  dead,  great  and  small,  standing  in 
the  presence  of  the  throne,  and  the  books  were  opened  :  and 
another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life :  and  the 
dead  were  judged  by  those  things  which  were  written  in  the 
books,  according  to  their  works." 

The  son  of  God  appears  in  the  firmament  seated  on  a 
great  and  bright  white  throne,  and  at  his  presence  the  earth  and 
heaven  flee  away,  or  disappear,  that  is,  the  earth,  the  atmos- 
phere, and  all  belonging  to  the  sky,  are  not  only  enwrapped 
in  flames;  but  entirely  pass  away  and  vanish  out  of  sight,  so 
that  their  place  is  not  found  nor  can  be  distinguished.  No- 
thing is  now  visible  of  the  works  of  the  creation.  The  sole 
object  that  fills  the  expanse  of  heaven,  is  the  resplendent  majesty 
of  the  Son  of  God  sitting  on  his  throne.  The  dead  then, 
both  great  and  small,  of  all  ranks  and  degrees,  appear  before 
him,  namely,  the  last  generation  of  the  human  race,  who 
have  just  expired  in  the  general  destruction  of  the  world.  This 
prodigious  multitude  of  souls  are  summoned  to  undergo  th« 
particular  judgment  which  is  fixed  for  all  mankind  at  the 
hour  of  their  death.  "It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die, 
after  this,  the  judgment."  Ep.  to  the  Hebr.  ix.  27.  This 
particular  judgment  must  be  here  meant  by  St.  John,  and  not 
the  general  judgment  which  is  described  in  the  next  verse, 
as  our  prophet  never  repeats  the  same  thing.  The  books  are 
opened,  and  will  remain  open  during  the  general  judgment 
that  is  quickly  to  follow.  In  these  books  are  recorded  the 
actions  of  every  individual  man,  according  to  which  sentence 
will  be  passed  upon  him.  The  Son  of  God,  from  his  own 
infinite  knowledge,  is  equally  acquainted  with  the  works  of 
every  man,  as  if  they  were  registered  in  a  book ;  but  this 
figurative  expression  shows  the  rigour  and  exactness  of  his 
27* 


318  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

scrutiny,  which  will  not  let   the  least  fault  or  good  work 
escape  his  notice.     Another  book  is  likewise  opened,  viz.  the 
book  of  life,  in  which  are  written  the  names  of  all  the  pre 
destined  or  elect. 

This  numero|is  company  of  souls  being"  therefore  judged 
by  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books  according  to 
their  works,  Christ  sends  forth  his  messenger,  an  archangel, 
who  by  his  order  blows  the  last  trumpet;  the  sound  of  which 
echoes  to  all  the  extremities  of  the  earth.  At  this  sound,  in 
an  instant,  all  the  dead  rise  up  from  their  graves,  never  more 
to  die.  "  In  a  moment,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  at  the  last  trumpet:  for  the  trumpet  yet  shall  sound,  and 
the  dead  shall  rise  again  incorruptible."  1  Cor.  xv.  52  The 
general  resurrection  is  likewise  thus  briefly  described  to  us 
by  St.  John  : 

Apoc.  XX.  1 3.  "  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  that  were  in  it ; 
and  death  and  hell  gave  up  their  dead  that  were  in  them."  The 
sea  is  first  here  said  to  deliver  up  its  dead.  By  the  sea,  in 
our  prophet's  language,  v^'-e  must  understand  the  whole  ex- 
tent of  the  terraqueous  globe,  in  as  much  as  it  contains  the 
dead  bodies  of  the  saints,  w^ho  may  be  said  to  have  waded 
through  the  tempestuous  sea  of  this  world,  or  through  a  long 
course  of  tribulations,  persecutions,  and  hardships,  which 
sanctified  their  lives.  Their  bodies  therefore  rise  up  the  first, 
and  this  is  confirmed  by  St.  Paul :  "  The  dead  who  are  in 
Christ,  shall  rise  first."  1  Thes.  iv.  15.  Heaven  presents 
their  souls,  and  by  the  happy  union  of  soul  and  body,  the 
saints  stand  vested  with  complete  immortality.  Then  death 
and  hell  give  up  their  dead  ;  death  here  signifying  the  graves 
of  the  wicked,  as  containing  the  mortal  part  of  those  whose 
souls  lie  in  the  death  of  damnation.  These  bodies  likewise 
rise  to  life,  and  are  joined  to  their  souls  which  hell  vomits 
up,  and  thus  they  become  inseparable  companions  of  the 
same  eternal  fate  which  they  will  soon  be  doomed  to  undergo. 
Every  individual  of  mankind  being  thus  raised  to  life,  from 
Adam  to  the  last  of  the  human  race,  they  will  all  see  the  Al- 
mighty Son  of  God  coming  down  through  the  upper  regions 
of  the  sky,  seated  on  bright  clouds  as  upon  a  throne,  sur- 
rounded with  the  splendour  of  his  divine  Majesty,  attended 
by  the  angels,  and  his  cross,  the  instrument  of  the  world's 
redemption,  carried  before  him :  "  And  then,"  says  Christ 
himself,  "shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  hea- 
ven :  and  then  shall  all  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn  ;  and  they 
shall  see  the  Son  of  man  comino-  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  319 

with  much  power  and  majesty."  Matt.  xxiv.  30.  And  our 
prophet  in  the  Apocalypse  also  says  of  him :  "  Behold  he 
Cometh  with  the  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and 
they  also  that  pierced  him.  And  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
shall  bewail  themselves  because  of  him,"  i.  7.  The  appear- 
ance then  of  the  Son  of  God  coming  in  his  majesty  to  judg- 
ment will  strike  the  wicked  with  dread  and  consternation. 
The  different  tribes  of  them  will  mourn  and  bewail  their 
miserable  condition :  the  Jews,  that  pierced  him  or  put  him  to 
death,  and  those  who  had  refused  to  acknowledge  him  for 
their  Saviour  and  Messiah :  the  infidels,  who  would  not  be 
converted,  and  who  had  persecuted  him  in  his  servants  ;  in 
fine,  the  rest  of  the  wicked,  who  had  made  no  use  of  the  re- 
demption he  had  purchased  for  them,  but  on  the  contrary  had 
heinously  injured  him  by  their  repeated  crimes  and  impiety. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  what  a  consolation,  what  an  auspi- 
cious moment,  will  it  be  for  the  just,  to  see  their  Redeemer 
coming  to  reward  them,  and  to  make  their  happiness  com- 
plete, for  all  eternity  !  They  will  fly  to  meet  him,  as  their 
Father  and  Saviour,  with  inexpressible  alacrity  and  joy;  as 
we  learn  from-  St.  Paul :  "  The  Lord  himself  shall  come 
down  from  heaven  with  commandment,  and  with  the  voice  of 
an  archangel,  and  with  the  trumpet  of  God :  and  the  dead 
who  are  in  Christ,  shall  rise  first.  Then  we  who  are  alive, 
who  are  left,  shall  be  taken  up  together  with  them  in  the 
clouds  to  meet  Christ,  into  the  air,  and  so  shall  we  be  always 
with  the  Lord."     1  Thes.  iv.  15,  16. 

All  the  individuals  of  the  human  race  appear  now  existing 
at  once  and  together,  a  wonderful  spectacle  that  never  was 
seen  before,  nor  will  be  seen  after.  For  this  great  company 
will  soon  be  divided  into  two  bodies  that  must  separate,  never 
more  to  be  joined.  They  are  called  up  and  cited  to  appear 
at  the  bar  of  the  throne  and  judgment-seat  of  the  Son  of  God. 
There  "they  are  judged  every  one  according  to  their  works." 
Apoc.  XX.  13.  To  the  just  are  adjudged  eternal  rewards  for 
their  labours :  and  this  may  be  styled,  the  second  resurrec- 
tion, as  the  prior  admission  of  their  souls  to  beatitude,  on  the 
death  of  their  bodies,  was  called  by  St.  John,  "  the  first  resur- 
rection." Apoc.  XX.  5.  The  saints  having  thus  received  their 
happy  sentence,  are  admitted  to  attend  Christ  and  to  sit  with  him 
in  judgment  over  the  wicked,  according  to  what  he  had  pro- 
mised :  "  Amen,  I  say  unto  you,  that  you  who  have  follovv^ed 
me,  in  the  regeneration,  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the 
seat  of  his  majesty,  you  also  shall  sit  on  twelve  seats  judging 


320  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  Matt.  xix.  28.  Then  follows  the 
sentence  upon  the  wicked,  by  which  they  are  doomed  to  the 
unquenchable  flames  of  hell  for  ever,  or,  as  St.  John  ex- 
presses it. 

Chap.  XX.  1 4.  "  And  hell  and  death  were  cast  into  the  pool 
of  fire.     This  is  the  second  death." 

Hell  and  death,  before,  denoted  the  places  where  the  souls 
and  bodies  of  the  reprobate  lay,  but  here,  by  an  easy  transi- 
tion, they  are  employed  to  signify  these  souls  and  bodies  them- 
selves, which  are  cast  into  the  infernal  pool  of  fire :  and  this 
damnation  of  both  together,  at  the  last  judgment,  is  here  de- 
nominated, the  second  death;  while  that  of  the  soul  only, 
which  had  preceded  at  the  time  of  her  separation  from  the 
body,  may  receive  the  name  of  first  death. — Thus  much 
from  the  Apocalypse. 

But  the  general  arraignment  of  all  mankind  before  the  tri- 
bunal of  Christ  at  the  last  day,  and  the  special  judgment  he 
will  pass  upon  them,  are  more  clearly  and  explicitly  exhibited 
us  by  Christ  himself  in  his  following  words :  "  When  the 
Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  majesty,  and  all  the  angels  wnth 
him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  seat  of  his  majesty;  and  all 
nations  shall  be  gathered  together  before  him,  and  he  shall 
separate  them  one  from  another,  as  the  shepherd  separateth 
the  sheep  from  the  goats :  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his 
right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  his  left.  Then  shall  the  king- 
say  to  them  that  shall  be  on  his  right  hand :  '  Come  ye  blessed 
of  my  Father,  possess  you  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  For  I  was  hungry  and 
you  gave  me  to  eat :  I  was  thirsty,  and  you  gave  me  to  drink,' 
&c. — Then  he  shall  say  to  them  also  that  shall  be  on  his  left 
hand :  '  Depart  from  me  you  cursed  into  everlasting  fire, 
which  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  For  I  was 
hungry,  and  you  gave  me  not  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  you 
gave  me  not  to  drink,'  &c. — And  these  shall  go  into  ever- 
lasting punishment :  but  the  just  into  life  everlasting,"  Matt. 
XXV.  31,  &c.  And  again,  our  Saviour  speaking  on  the  same 
subject  in  another  place,  says :  "  As  tares  are  gathered  up  and 
burnt  with  fire,  so  shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world.  The 
Son  of  man  shall  send  his  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out 
of  his  kingdom  all  scandals,  and  them  that  work  iniquity : 
and  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire:  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall  the  just  shine  as 
the  sun,  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father."  Matt,  xiii,  &c.  In 
fine,  the  general  judgment  finishes  by 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  321 

Chap.  XX,  15.  "  And  whosoever,"  says  our  prophet,  "was 
not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  pool  of 
fire."  All  those  who  have  not  "  by  good  works  made  sure 
their  calling  and  election,"  2  Pet.  i.  10,  and  so  have  not  got- 
ten their  names  registered  in  the  book  of  life,  are  condemned 
to  hell  fire  for  all  eternity. 

The  general  judgment  is  an  event  so  tremendous  and  so 
interesting  to  mankind,  that  our  Saviour  frequently  inculcated 
it  in  his  discourses,  as  we  see  in  the  gospel  :  and  St.  John  in 
the  Apocalypse,  besides  the  natural  description  of  it  above 
cited,  gives  us  a  second  allegorical  one,  with  new  circum- 
stances, under  two  elegant  expressive  figures  of  harvest  and 
vintage.  Thus  paints  the  admirable  and  exact  pencil  of  our 
incomparable  prophet : 

Chap.  xiv.  14.  "  And  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white  cloud: 
and  upon  the  cloud  one  sitting  like  to  the  Son  of  man,  having 
on  his  head  a  crown  of  gold,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle. 

V.  15.  "And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  temple,  cry- 
ing with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  upon  the  cloud  :  Thrust 
in  thy  sickle,  and  reap,  because  the  hour  is  come  to  reap,  for 
the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe. 

V.  16.  "  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  thrust  his  sickle  into 
the  earth,  and  the  earth  was  reaped. 

V.  17.  "  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple  which 
is  in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle. 

*V.  18.  "  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  who 
had  power  over  fire:  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  him 
that  had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying :  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sic- 
kle, and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vineyard  of  the  earth* 
because  the  grapes  thereof  are  ripe. 

V.  19.  "  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sharp  sickle  into  the 
earth,  and  gathered  the  vineyard  of  the  earth,  and  cast  into 
the  great  press  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

V.  20.  "  And  the  press  was  trodden  without  the  city,  and 
blo0d  came  out  of  the  press,  up  to  the  horses'  bridles  for  a 
thousand  six  hundred  furlongs." 

The  Son  of  man,  v.  14,  or  Christ,  is  seen  by  St.  John  sit- 
ting on  a  white  cloud,  as  we  saw  him  before,  bearing  on  his 
head  a  crown  of  gold  for  a  mark  of  his  sovereign  power  and 
dominion  over  the  world,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle,  an 
instrument  for  cutting  down  corn.*  Then  an  angel  comes 
out  from  the  temple  in  heaven,  v.  15,  from  the  Almighty  who 

*  In  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  all  kinds  of  grain  are  called  by  the  gene- 
ral term  Corn. — Am.  Ed. 


322  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

sits  there  enthroned,  and  brings  orders  to  the  Son  of  man  to 
thrust  in  his  sickle  and  reap  ;  because  the  hour  is  come  to  reap, 
for  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe ;  the  number  of  saints  pre-or- 
dained by  the  Almighty  is  completed,  and  the  period  allotted 
to  the  existence  of  the  human  species  is  run  out.  Christ,  in 
obedience  to  his  eternal  Father,  thrusts  his  sickle  into  the  earth, 
and  the  earth  is  reaped,  v.  16;  he  puts  an  end  to  the  world, 
and  reaps  the  harvest  of  his  elect,  by  withdrawing  them  from 
all  further  labours,  and  gathering  them  to  himself,  as  the  hus- 
bandman gathers  his  corn  into  his  granary.  "  And  he  (the 
Son  of  man)  shall  send  his  angels  with  a  trumpet,  and  a  great 
voice :  and  they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  the  farthest  part  of  the  heavens  to  the  utmost 
bounds  of  them."  Matt.  xxiv.  31.  The  harvest  being  made, 
follows  the  vintage. 

An  angel  comes  out,  v.  17,  from  the  temple  in  heaven,  as 
sent  by  the  Almighty,  with  a  sharp  sickle  in  his  hand,  and 
presently  comes  forth,  v.  18,  from  the  altar  of  holocausts 
where  fire  was  perpetually  kept,  a  second  angel  who  hath 
power  over  the  fire,  and  who  is  commanded,  because  perpetual 
fire  is  to  be  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  to  tell  the  first  an- 
gel to  thrust  in  his  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the  clusters  of 
the  vineyard  of  the  earth :  because  the  grapes  thereof  are  ripe. 
The  angel  executes  the  order,  cuts  off  in  an  instant  the  clusters 
of  grapes  over  the  whole  earth,  v.  19,  gathers  them  togeth^er, 
and  casts  them  into  the  great  press  or  wine-press  of  the  wrath 
of  God  :  that  is,  the  angel  collects  together  the  whole  troop  of 
the  reprobate,  and  casts  them,  as  being  ripe  for  punishment, 
into  the  deep  pit  of  hell.  This  is  conformable  to  what  we  hear 
from  our  Saviour:  •'  The  Son  of  man,"  says  he,  "shall  send 
his  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  scan- 
dals, and  them  that  work  iniquity:  and  shall  cast  them  into 
the  furnace  of  fire."  Matt.  xiii.  41,  42.  St.  John  then  adds, 
V.  20,  "  And  the  press  was  trodden  without  the  city,  and  blood 
came  out  of  the  press,  up  to  the  horses'  bridles  for  a  thousand 
six  hundred  furlongs."  Here  is  a  striking  allegorical  expres- 
sion of  the  effusion  of  God's  anger  upon  the  damned,  who  are 
represented  as  trodden  in  the  lake  of  hell,  in  the  same  manner 
as  grapes  are  trodden  in  the  wine-press:  and  the  person  that 
thus  treats  them,  we  are  told,  is  Christ  himself;  "he  treadeth 
the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  God  the  Al- 
mighty." Apoc.  xix.  15.  Christ  is  constituted  the  avenger 
of  the  injuries  done  to  his  almighty  Father,  and  is  his  minis- 
ter to  execute  his  judgments  upon  the  impious.    The  allusion 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  823 

of  the  treading  of  the  wine-press  is  carried  on,  and  as  if  it 
were  supposed  that  the  whole  heap  of  the  damned  lodged  in 
the  pit  of  hell,  were  there  trodden,  there  would  issue  out  from 
their  bodies  a  quantity  of  blood  that  would  cover  a  space  of 
ground,  all  around,  to  the  distance  of  a  thousand  six  hundred 
furlongs,  or  two  hundred  miles,  and  to  such  a  height,  that  the 
l)lood  would  reach  to  the  horses'  bridles,  if  waded  through. 
This  sea  of  blood  would  not,  however,  affect  the  city  or  man- 
sion of  the  blessed,  which  is  placed  at  a  great  distance.  One 
cannot  but  shudder  at  the  picture  here  exposed  to  us,  as  it  sug- 
gests the  dismal  idea  of  such  an  immense  multitude  of  the 
human  species  devoted  to  the  flames  of  hell  without  hope  of 
redemption.  For,  in  effect,  if  a  circular  space,  of  four  hun- 
dred miles  diameter,  be  covered  with  blood  to  four  feet  height, 
which  is  about  the  height  of  a  middle-sized  horse's  bridle  from 
the  ground ;  and  if  we  suppose  fifteen  pounds  to  be,  at  an 
average,  the  quantity  of  blood  in  a  man ;  the  density  of  blood 
being  nearly  one  2.5th  greater  than  that  of  water,  a  foot  cubic 
of  which  weighs  a  thousand  ounces  ;  we  shall  find,  by  making 
the  computation,  that  the  number  of  men's  bodies,  requisite  to 
give  the  mass  of  blood  above  mentioned,  will  be  upwards  of 
60,000,000,000,000. 

We  have  now  seen,  on  one  side,  the  body  of  the  reprobate 
banished  from  the  presence  of  Christ,  and  doomed  to  their 
perpetual  prison  :  while  on  the  other  side  the  whole  company 
of  saints  shine  with  all  the  noble  qualities  belonging  to  bodies 
clothed  with  immortality.  They  now  see  the  happy  moment 
arrived  for  the  accomplishment  of  all  their  expectations.  That 
part  of  them,  who  adorned  the  world  before  the  Saviour  of 
mankind  appeared  in  it,  are  called  into  the  heavenly  mansions 
with  angelical  acclamations.  They  enter,  singing  in  jubila- 
tion :  "  Come,  let  us  praise  the  Lord  with  joy:  let  us  joyfully 
sing  to  God  our  Saviour.  Let  us  come  before  his  presence  with 
thanksgiving:  and  make  a  joyful  noise  to  him  with  psalms," 
Psalm  xciv.  The  other  body  composed  of  the  Christian 
saints,  are  g-ratified  in  a  peculiar  manner  with  the  gracious 
countenance  of  Christ,  their  Lord  and  Master,  who  invites 
them  to  reign  with  them  in  bliss  for  all  eternity.  On  so  happy 
an  occasion  that  crowns  all  their  wishes,  the  heavens  resound 
with  the  loudest  acclamations  of  joy  and  exultation  : 

Chap.  xix.  7.  "  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  glory 
lo  him,  (God,)  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his 
wife  has  prepared  herself 

V.  8.  "And  it  was  granted  to  her  that  she  should  clothe 


324  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

herself  with  fine  linen,  glittering  and  white.     For  the  fine 
linen  are  the  justifications  of  saints. 

V.  9.  "  And  he  said  to  me :  Write,  blessed  are  they  that  are 
called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb."  The  heavenly 
choirs  thus  break  out  into  jubilation  and  transports  of  joy,  be- 
cause the  time  is  come  for  the  nuptials  of  the  Lamb,  that  is, 
for  Christ  to  espouse  his  Church,  which  is  the  society  of  his 
saints,  by  taking  her  to  himself,  by  freeing  her  from  all  ene- 
mies, by  removing  all  evils  for  ever  from  her,  by  enriching  her 
with  every  blessing,  and  in  fine  by  cherishing  her  as  a  spouse 
does  his  beloved  consort.  The  wife  or  bride  of  the  Lamb, 
that  is,  the  company  of  Christian  saints,  appears  in  a  suitable 
garb  for  the  marriage.  She  is  dressed  in  fine  linen,  the  symbol 
of  the  justifications  or  the  good  works  and  merits  of  her  holy 
members ;  the  most  pleasing  attire  in  which  she  can  present 
herself  to  the  Lamb.  Her  robe  is  glittering  and  white,  be- 
cause she  has  been  purified  as  silver  in  the  furnace,  and 
washed  white  in  the  waters  of  tribulation  and  persecution. 
Here  then  follows  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb,  or  the  gracious 
and  affectionate  union  of  Christ  with  his  saints.  He  then  in- 
troduces them  into  heaven,  and  presents  them,  as  his  bride, 
before  the  throne  to  his  eternal  Father.  Then  may  be  truly 
&a\d,  Blessed  are  they,  v.  9,  that  are  called  to  the  marriage 
supper  of  the  Lamb ;  the  saints  are  seated  in  glory,  and  filled 
with  ineffable  and  endless  bliss,  which  is  the  marriage  supper, 
the  ultimate  term  of  all. 

After  so  glorious  a  conclusion  of  the  marriage  feast,  St. 
John  proceeds, 

V.  9.  "  And  he  saith  to  me  :  these  words  of  God  are  true." 
The  angel  of  Christ,  that  is,  St.  John  Baptist,  who  in  the  form 
of  an  angel  attends  the  apostle  during  this  prophecy,  gives  tes- 
timony to  what  has  been  just  pronounced :  Blessed  are  they 
that  are  called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  The  an- 
gel affirms  that  these  are  the  words  of  God,  and  consequently 
true,  or  will  infallibly  have  their  accomplishment  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  viz.  at  the  last  day. 

The  apostle  supposing  this  to  be  the  conclusion  of  all  that 
was  to  be  revealed  to  him,  turns  to  the  angel : 

V.  10.  "And  I  fell  down,"  says  he,  "  before  his  feet,  to  adore 
him.  And  he  saith  to  me:  See  thou  do  it  not:  I  am  thy 
fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  who  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus.  Adore  God.  For  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit 
of  prophecy."  St.  John,  in  token  of  gratitude,  offers  to  pay 
to  the  angel  such  homage  as  is  due  to  a  being  of  his  rank, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  325 

which  the  angel  however  refuses  to  accept,  giving  for  reason, 
that  he  is  a  fellow-servant  of  the  apostle  and  of  the  apostle's 
brethren  who  bear  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ.  This  speech 
evidently  agrees  with  the  character  of  the  Baptist,  but  not 
with  that  of  a  real  angel.  Then  St.  John  is  told  to  adore 
God,  as  the  author  of  all  prophecy:  after  which  the  angel 
adds  :  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  that 
is,  the  testimony  which  you  give  to  Christ  by  suffering  for  his 
holy  name  and  the  profession  of  his  doctrine  is  of  equal  value 
with  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  by  which  I  reveal  to  you  .these 
future  events. 

Though  the  divine  incomparable  revelation,  here  imparted 
to  St  John,  seemed  in  this  place  to  terminate,  as  having  car- 
ried on  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church  from  its  birth  to 
its  triumphant  state  after  the  resurrection,  yet  we  see  further 
discoveries  communicated,  and  new  scenes  shown  to  the  apos- 
tle. He  has  described  to  us  the  wreck  and  dissolution  of  the 
world,  the  resurrection  of  mankind,  the  judgment  passed  upon 
them,  with  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  and  the  recompense 
of  the  good.  The  prophet  now  proceeds  to  lay  before  us  a 
series  of  new  pictures,  the  objects  of  which  are  of  so  uncouth 
a  nature,  so  different  from  any  thing  we  are  acquainted  with, 
that  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  explain  them  to  full 
satisfaction.  The  first  of  these  pictures  he  exhibits  to  us  is 
the  following: 

Chap.  xxi.  1.  "And  I  saw,  says  he,  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth.  For  the  first  heaven,  and  the  first  earth  was 
gone,  and  the  sea  is  now  no  more."  Here  is  a  total  change 
in  our  sj^stem  of  nature.  The  earth,  that  was,  the  heaven  or 
sky,  with  its  atmosphere,  its  clouds,  &c.  had  passed  away  and 
vanished  ;  but  now  a  *'  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth"  appear. 
The  same  we  are  taught  by  St.  Peter ;  "  We  look,"  says  he, 
"for  new  heav^ens  and  a  new  earth,  according  to  his  promises 
in  which  justice  dwelleth."  2  Ep.  iii.  13.  This  new  heaven 
and  new  earth  are  not  of  new^  creation,  but  the  former  heaven 
and  earth,  purified  by  fire,  renewed  by  the  hand  of  God,  and 
made  much  more  perfect,  "not  other  heavens  and  another 
earth,"  says  St,  Jerom,  "  but  the  former  ones  changed  into 
better."  In  Isai.  Ixv.  And  St.  Gregory  the  Great,  speaking 
of  the  same,  says:  "  Others  are  not  to  be  created,  but  these 
same  renewed."  Lib.  xvii.  Moral,  in  Job.  c.  5.  This  senti- 
ment is  founded  on  Scripture.  The  psalmist  represents  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  growing  old  and  wearing  away  like  a 
garment,  and  then  to  be  changed.  "  In  the  beginning,  O  Lord, 
28 


326  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

thou  foundedst  the  earth :  and  the  heavens  are  the  works  of 
tliy  hands.  They  shall  perish,  but  thotu  remainest :  and  all 
of  them  shall  grow  old  like  a  garment:  and  as  a  vesture  thou 
shak  change  them,  and  they  shall  be  changed."  Ps.  ci.  26, 
&c.  Solomon  also  seems  to  assure  us,  that  every  thing  shall 
remain  that  has  been  created :  "  I  have  learned,"  says  he, 
"  that  all  the  works  which  God  has  made,  continue  for  ever." 
Eccl.  iii.  14.  Upon  which  St.  Gregory  the  Great's  comment 
is:  "  they  will  pass,  as  to  their  present  figure  or  appearance, 
but  as  to  their  substance  they  will  remain  for  ever."  Lib.  xvii. 
Moral  in  Job.  c.  5.  St.  Austin  tells  us,  that  "  by  the  change 
of  things  the  world  will  not  entirely  perish  or  be  annihilated. 
Its  form  or  external  appearance  will  be  changed,  but  not  its 
substance."  Lib.  xx.  de  Civ.  c.  14.  And  again  more  amply: 
"  The  figure  of  this  world  will  pass  away  by  the  general  con- 
flagration.— The  qualities  of  the  corruptible  elements,  of 
which  our  world  is  composed,  which  were  proportioned  to 
our  corruptible  bodies,  will  be  entirely  destroyed  by  the  fire: 
and  the  substance  of  those  elements  will  acquire  new  qualities 
which  will  be  suitable  to  our  immortal  bodies:  and  thus  the 
world,  by  becoming  more  perfect,  will  be  proportioned  to  the 
then  improved  state  of  the  human  body."  Ibid.  c.  16.  After 
the  same  manner  speak  St.  Justin,  St.  Basil,  and  other  holy- 
fathers.  Hence  we  may  conclude  that  our  new  world,  as  to 
its  substance,  will  be  the  same  as  the  old ;  but  its  qualities 
will  be  totally  altered,  so  as  to  be  no  more  pernicious  to  the 
human  body,  ofTensive  to  the  senses,  or  obnoxious  to  unsea- 
sonable vicissitudes.  Every  part  will  then  appear  bright,  glo- 
rious, pleasing  to  the  senses,  and  inspiring  happiness.  They 
will  form  as  it  were  a  paradise.  Whether  the  superior  hea- 
vens, that  contain  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  will  undergo  the 
same  change,  is  uncertain  ;  and  the  writers  on  this  subject  are 
divided  in  their  opinions. 

St.  John  adds  in  this  place  a  particularity  worthy  our  no- 
tice; and  the  sea  is  now  no  more;  being  perhaps  wholly 
dried  up,  as  to  its  fluidity,  by  the  fire;  and  its  component  solid 
parts  reduced  into  the  same  state  with  the  rest  of  the  terrestri- 
al globe.  Thus  the  sea  will  be  no  more,  as  being  of  no 
further  use.  This  entire  suppression  of  the  sea  may  give  a 
reason,  why  the  angel,  Avhose  feet  were  as  pillars  of  fire, 
Avhen  he  announced  the  end  of  the  world,  stood  with  his  right 
foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the  land,  Apoc.  x.  I,  2. 
The  right  foot  denoting  a  greater  power  of  strength,  which  is 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  827 

here  required  to   consume  water,  so  much  more  opposite  in 
its  nature  to  fire  than  dry  land. 

The  scene  of  nature  being  now  totally  changed,  and 
the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  being  formed,  St.  John 
proceeds, 

Chap.  xxi.  2.  "  And  I  John  saw  the  holy  city,  the  new 
Jerusalem,  coming  down  out  of  heaven,  from  God."  Here 
our  prophet  begins  a  new  period,  which  is,  the  period  of 
eternity.  He  had  hitherto  related  the  history  of  the  Christ- 
ian church  in  a  regular  course  from  its  first  rise  to  its  pass- 
ing away  w^ith  time  itself  and  with  the  destruction  of  the 
w'orlcl.  He  does  not  however  stcfp  here,  but  eagle-like,  with  a 
new  flight  carries  us  into  the  regions  of  eternity,  and  shows 
us  a  sketch  of  the  glorious  state  the  blessed  will  enjoy  during 
that  endless  period.  The  account  of  this  new  period  St.  John 
now^  begins,  and  for  that  reason  says  not  simply,  I  saw,  as  is 
usual  with  him :  but  I  John  saw,  in  the  same  manner  as  he 
began  the  first  part  of  his  history,  with,  "  I  John,  your 
brother — was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,"  &c.  Apoc.  i. 
9,  10.  From  what  we  have  seen  it  appears,  that  St.  John's 
prophecy  is  almost  confined  to  the  history  of  the  Christian 
Church,  but  that  he  has  nevertheless  gone  beyond  that  bounda- 
ry, in  the  instance  of  relating  to  us  the  general  judgment  of 
all  mankind.  In  like  manner  he  is  now  going  to  describe  the 
heavenly  triumphant  state  of  the  whole  Church  of  God,  that 
is,  of  the  whole  body  of  the  saints.  But  we  must  here  take 
notice  of  the  plan  which  he  follows,  which  is,  to  divide  them 
into  two  societies.  The  first  is  of  the  saints  that  lived  in  the 
ages  prior  to  Christianity,  and  who  worshipped  the  supreme 
Deity  in  the  unity  of  Godhead.  The  second  society  compre- 
hends all  Christian  saints,  who  adored  God  in  Trinity  of 
persons.  These  observations  premised,  we  now  return  to  the 
text. 

Chap.  xxi.  2.  "And  I  John  saw,"  says  he,  "the  holy  city 
the  new  Jerusalem  coming  down  out  of  heaven,  from  God, 
prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband. 

V.  3.   "  And  1  heard  a  great  voice  from  the  throne,  saying: 
Behold  the  tabernacle  of  God  with  men,  and  he  will   dwell 
with  them.     And  they  shall  be  his  people:  and  God  himself 
with  them  shall  be  their  God. 

V.  4.  "  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes: 
and  death  shall  be  no  more,  nor  mourning,  nor  crying,  nor 
sorrow  shall  be  any  more,  for  the  former  things  are  passed 
away. 


328  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

V.  5.  "  And  he  that  sat  on  the  throne,  said :  Behold,  I 
make  all  things  new." 

This  holy  city,  this  new  Jerusalem,  that  is  seen  descending 
from  heaven,  from  God,  and  appears  so  bright  and  shining, 
like  a  bride  dressed  up  to  meet  her  husband,  is  the  heaven  or 
the  glorious  and  happy  mansions  of  all  the  saints  that  existed 
before  our  Saviour,  or  that  lived  under  the  law  of  nature  and 
the  Mosaic:  and  it  is  new  in  allusion  to  the  former  Jerusalem 
which  had  been  their  habitation  on  earth.  This  heavenly 
Jerusalem  may  therefore  be  st3ded  the  patriarchal  and  Jewish 
Jerusalem.  We  shall  see  in  the  sequel  the  Christian  Jeru- 
salem. This  new  city  of  the  blessed  is  seen  coming  down 
out  of  heaven  from  God,  to  the  new  earth  where  it  fixes,  to 
show  that  now  heaven  and  earth  are  joined,  and  that  heaven 
is  there  wherever  God  is.  To  express  the  extraordinary  de- 
gree of  light,  with  which  this  heavenly  city  will  be  illumi- 
nated, Isaiah  says:  "The  lio-ht  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the 
light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  shall  be  seven  fold, 
as  the  liglit  of  seven  days,"  xxx.  26.  The  expressions 
that  follow  in  verse  3:  "behold  the  tabernacle  of  God  with 
men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,"  &c.  apparently  belong  to 
the  Jewish  and  patriarchal  ages,  and  frequently  occur  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  particularly  in  the  ancient  prophets ; 
which  shows  that  this  is  the  patriarchal  and  Jewish  heavenly 
Jerusalem.  The  holy  inhabitants  of  this  city  Avill  be  blessed 
with  complete  felicity,  arising  from  the  presence  of  God  dwell- 
ing with  them,  and  will  experience  no  more  sorrow  nor  any 
other  misery,  v.  4.  "  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes:  and  death  shall  be  no  more,  nor  mourning,  nor 
crying,  nor  sorrow  shall  be  any  more,' for  the  former  things 
are  passed  away.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  throne,  (God,)  said  : 
Behold  I  make  all  things  neiv."  1'he  prophet  Isaiah  had 
said  nearly  the  same  things :  "The  Lord,"  says  he,  "shall 
cast  death  down  headlong  for  ever:  and  the  Lord  God  shall 
wipe  away  tears  from  every  face,"  xxv.  8.  And,  "  Behold," 
says  God  by  the  same  prophet,  "  I  create  new  heavens  and 
a  new  earth  :  and  the  former  things  shall  not  be  in  remem- 
brance, and  they  shall  not  come  upon  the  heart.  But  you 
should  be  glad  and  rejoice  for  ever  in  these  thin.':::s,  Avhich  I 
create :  for  behold  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing,  and  the 
people  thereof  joy.  And  I  will  rejoice  in  Jerusalem,  and  joy 
in  my  people,  and  the  voice  of  weeping  shall  be  no  more  heard 
in  her,  nor  the  voice  of  crying,"  Ixv.  17,  &/C.  The  Almighty 
makes  all  things  new  to  these  blessed  beings,  a  new  Jerusa- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  329 

lem  or  seat  of  bliss,  a  new  state  of  existence  quite  different 
from  what  it  had  been  in  this  world :  all  is  now  happiness, 
glory,  and  exultation. — St.  John  proceeds, 

V.  5.  "  And  he  said  to  me :  write,  for  these  words  are  most 
faithful  and  true."  Here  is  the  sanction  of  the  Almighty.  He 
gives  testimony  to  the  truth  of  what  has  been  said  of  the  hap- 
piness and  glory  of  the  Jewish  and  patriarchal  Church  in 
heaven,  and  he  professes  to  be  faithful  in  the  execution  of 
these  promises. 

V.  6.  "  And  he  said  to  me  :  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega:  the  beginning  and  the  end."  The  Almighty  again, 
speaks,  and  says:  It  is  done;  time  is  past  and  eternity  is  be- 
gun. I  am  Alpha  and  Omega :  the  beginning  and  the  end : 
I  framed  the  universe,  I  destroyed  it,  and  renewed  it  at  my 
pleasure :  All  mankind  received  their  existence  from  me,  and 
they  ultimately  return  to  me  to  be  rewarded  or  punished :  I 
called  the  patriarchs,  and  I  chose  the  Jews,  I  was  their  God, 
and  of  all  the  just  of  those  ages,  and  I  shall  be  their  God  and 
reward  for  all  eternity. The  Almighty  proceeds, 

V.  6.  "  To  him  that  thirsteth  I  will  give  of  the  fountain  of 
the  water  of  life,  freely. 

V.  7.  "  He  that  shall  overcome,  shall  possess  these  things, 
and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son." 

To  those  that  shall  have  thirsted,  says  God,  after  the  water 
of  life,  after  heavenly  beatitude,  and  endeavoured  to  deserve 
it,  I  will  give  it ;  and  my  gift  will  be  free  or  gratuitous,  be- 
cause human  merit  can  never  equal  the  reward  which  I  be- 
stow, nor  is  there  any  human  merit  without  the  concurrence 
of  my  grace. 

I  shall  give  them  plentifully  to  drink  of  this  water  of  life, 
by  replenishing  them  with  that  abundance  of  sweet  satisfac- 
tion, which  surpasses  all  conception.  "  They  shall  be  inebri- 
ated with  the  plenty  of  thy  house,"  says  the  psalmist;  "  and 
thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  torrent  of  thy  pleasure," 
Psalm  XXXV.  9.  And  whoever  shall  have  overcome,  v.  7, 
that  is,  whoever  shall  have  courageously  fought  in  the  cause 
of  religion,  or  who  shall  have  preserved  himself  free  from 
idolatry,  injustice,  and  works  of  iniquity,  and  shall  have 
walked  in  the  observance  of  my  precepts,  he  shall  inhabit  this 
city,  this 'mansion  of  immortality,  and  shall  possess  for  ever 
the  ineffable  blessings  of  felicity  that  abound  in  it,  and  I  will 
be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  Such  will  be  the  happy 
state  of  the  courageous  and  zealous  servants  of  God. 

V.  8.  "  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abomina- 
28* 


330  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

ble,  and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and 
idolaters,  and  all  liars,  they  shall  have  their  portion  in  the 
pool  burning  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the  second 
death." 

The  account  being  here  conchided  of  the  future  state  of  that 
part  of  mankind  which  preceded  the  age  of  Christianity,  we 
are  now  invited  to  a  new  spectacle. 

V.  9.  "  And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels,  who  had 
the  vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  spoke  with  me, 
saying :  Come,  and  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  wife  of  the 
Lamb.  • 

V.  10.  "And  he  took  me  up  in  spirit  to  a  great  and  high 
mountain :  and  he  showed  me  the  holy  city  of  Jerusalem* 
coming  down  out  of  heaven  from  God, 

V.  11.  "  Having  the  glory  of  God  :  and  the  light  thereof 
was  like  to  a  precious  stone,  as  to  the  jasper-stone,  even  as 
crystal." 

Here  we  are  favoured  with  a  sight  of  the  heavenly  Jeru- 
salem, or  seat  of  bliss  of  the  Christian  saints.  The  ground 
of  this  distinction  of  two  Jerusalems  appears,  not  only  from 
the  prophet's  invariable  rule  of  not  repeating  the  same  thing, 
but  also  from  their  respective  descriptions.  The  first,  which 
we  saw  above,  agrees  with  the  nature  and  terms  of  the  cove- 
nant of  God  w^ith  mankind  relatively  to  the  ages  before  the 
SBra  of  Christianity  ;  and  this  latter  Jerusalem  is  particularly 
distinguished  by  being  styled  the  bride  and  wife  of  the  Lamb, 
which  evidently  characterizes  the  Christian  Church.  The 
view  of  this  seat  of  heavenly  beatitude  is  offered  to  St.  John 
by  one  of  the  seven  angels  who  had  the  vials  full  of  the  seven 
last  plagues,  it  being  fit  that  the  rewards  of  the  just  should  be 
proclaimed  by  the  same  angels,  who  before  had  poured  the 
vials  of  divine  punishments  on  the  wicked.  These  vials  ap- 
pertain solely  to  the  Christian  Church.  St.  John  is  carried 
in  spirit  to  the  top  of  a  great  and  high  mountain,  to  be  ena- 
bled to  see  over  the  high  wall  into  this  great  city,  the  holy 
Jerusalem  of  the  Christian  saints,  which  he  sees  coming"  down 
out  of  heaven  from  God,  to  fix  upon  the  earth.  It  is  filled 
with  the  brightness  of  the  glory  of  God ;  and  its  light  is  as 
shining  as  the  lustre  of  the  finest  precious  stone,  and  as  agree- 
able to  the  eye  as  the  view  of  the  most  transparent  green  jas- 
per stone. 

V^.  12.  "  And  it  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  having  twelve 

*  In  the  Greek  text,  "  the  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  331 

gates,  and  in  the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written 
thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  child- 
ren of  Israel. 

V.  13.  *'  On  the  east,  three  gates;  and  on  the  north,  three 
gates  ;  and  on  the  south,  three  gates ;  and  on  the  west,  three 
gates." 

This  heavenly  city  is  surrounded  with  a  great  and  high 
wall,  and  has  twelve  gates,  three  to  the  east,  as  many  to  the 
west,  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south.  They  are  guarded  by 
twelve  angels  in  the  same  manner  as  an  angel  w^as  appointed 
to  guard  the  gate  of  the  terrestrial  Paradise :  and  upon  each 
gate  is  inscribed  the  name  of  one  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  tho 
children  of  Israel,  because  from  them  the  Christian  Church 
was  first  formed,  and  thus  they  became  the  leaders  or  gate  of 
entrance  to  all  succeeding  Christians. 

V.  1 4.  "  And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations, 
and  in  them  the  twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the 
Lamb."  The  wall  stands  on  twelve  foundations  raised  one 
upon  another,  on  which  are  severally  inscribed  the  names  of 
the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb ;  they  being,  after  Christ,  the 
foundations  of  his  Church. 

V.  15,  "And  he  that  spoke  with  me,  had  a  measure  of  a 
reed  of  gold,  to  measure  the  city  and  the  gates  thereof,  and 
the  wall, 

V.  16,  "  And  the  city  lieth  in  a  four-square,  and  the  length 
thereof  is  as  great  as  the  breadth  :  and  he  measured  the  city 
with  a  golden  reed  for  twelve  thousand  furlongs  :  and  the 
length,  and  the  height,  and  the  breadth  thereof  are  equal. 

V.  17.  "  And  he  measured  the  wall  thereof  an  hundred 
forty-four  cubits,  the  measure  of  a  man  which  is  of  an  angel." 

The  angel  who  shows  and  explains  these  things  to  St. 
John,  measures  with  a  golden  rod  the  city,  its  walls  and  gates, 
and  finds  the  plan  of  the  city  to  be  an  exact  square,  and  its 
whole  circuit  to  be  twelve  thousand  furlongs,  or  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles.  The  wall  of  each  side  of  this  square  is  therefore, 
three  thousand  furlongs,  or  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
miles  long ;  and  what  is  strange,  its  height  is  said  to  be  equal 
to  its  length  ;  so  that  the  whole  fabric  of  the  city  forms  an 
exact  cube,  the  length,  breadth,  and  height  of  which  are,  each 
severally,  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles.  What  a 
prodigious  city  !  but,  "  In  my  father's  house,"  says  our  Sa- 
viour, "  there  are  many  mansions."  John  xiv.  2.  Such  an 
extensive  habitation,  we  hope,  indicates  the  vast  multitude  that 
will  be  of  Christian  citizens.     The  angel  likewise  measures 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

the  thickness  of  the  wall,  v.  17,  and  finds  it  to  be  an  hun- 
dred  and  forty-four  cubits,  or  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet ;  a 
cubit  being  the  measure  from  the  elbow  to  the  extremity  of 
the  hand  of  an  ordinary  man,  or  a  foot  and  a  half  nearly, 
which  is  the  measure  used  by  the  angel. 

V.  18.  "And  the  building  of  the  wall  thereof  was  of  jas- 
per-stone :  but  the  city  itself  pure  gold,  like  to  clear  glass." 
St.  John  having  described  the  dimensions  of  this  great  city, 
the  basis  of  which  being  a  square  and  the  structure  a  cube, 
form  the  most  elegant  and  most  perfect  figure  of  an  edifice ; 
he  now  proceeds  to  give  us  an  account  of  the  materials  of 
which  the  whole  is  built,  which  are  the  richest  that  can  be 
imagined.  The  wall  is  built  of  fine  green  jasper-stone,  the 
colour  best  suited  to  the  eye.  The  city  itself,  by  which  we 
suppose  are  meant  the  buildings  of  the  city,  is  constructed 
wholly  of  pure  gold  as  transparent  as  crystal. 

V.  19.  "And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city,  were 
adorned  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones.  The  first  foun- 
dation was  jasper :  the  second,  sapphire  :  the  third,  a  chalce- 
dony :  the  fourth,  an  emerald : 

V.  20.  "  The'  fifth,  sardonyx :  the  sixth,  sardius :  the  se- 
venth, chrysolite  :  the  eighth,  beryl :  the  ninth,  a  topaz  :  the 
tenth,  a  chrysoprasus :  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth :  the  twelfth,  an 
amethyst."  The  twelve  foundations  that  support  the  wall  of 
the  city,  are  adorned  with  the  most  shining  and  most  beauti- 
ful precious  stones,  which  are  here  particularly  specified:  As 
the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  are  inscribed  upon  them,  v. 
14,  perhaps  the  qualities  of  each  stone  bear  some  relation  to 
the  peculiar  endowments  of  the  apostle  whose  name  is  upon 
it ;  but  this  relation  we  cannot  pretend  to  discover. 

V.  21.  "And  the  twelve  gates  are  twelve  pearls,  one  to 
each  :  and  every  several  gate  was  of  one  several  pearl.  And 
the  street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent 
glass."  The  twelve  gates  of  the  city  in  their  jambs  and  ex- 
ternal structure  and  decorations  are  made  of  so  many  beau- 
tiful pearls,  a  pearl  for  each  gate :  and  the  door  of  each  gate 
is  formed  of  one  single  pearl.  And  the  streets  and  whole  area 
of  the  city  are  paved  with  pure  gold,  transparent  as  chrystal. 
What  can  be  more  rich,  splendid,  or  sumptuous? 

V.  22.  "  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein.  For  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  is  the  temple  thereof,  and  the  Lamb. 

V.  23.  "  And  the  city  has  no  need  of  the  sun,  nor  of  the 
moon,  to  shine  in  it.  For  the  glory  of  God  hath  enlightened 
it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  lamp  thereof"     This  heavenly  city 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  333 

wants  no  temple  :  Almighty  God  and  the  Lamb  residing  in  it 
supply  the  place  of  a  temple  :  they  are  always  present  to  the 
blessed  inhabitants,  who  thus  see  their  God  and  Saviour  face 
to  face,  and  offer  their  homage  immediately  to  them.  Nor  is 
there  any  occasion  for  the  light  of  the  sun  or  moon:  the  city  is  al- 
ways illuminated  by  the  resplendent  glory  and  brightness  of  the 
Deity  which  serve  in  the  place  of  the  sun,  and  the  Lamb  him- 
self is  the  great  luminary  of  it,  in  lieu  of  the  moon.  The  same 
glorious  perfections  of  this  city  are  also  painted  to  us  in  the 
same  colours  by  the  prophet  Isaiah :  "  Thou  shalt  no  more 
have  the  sun  for  thy  light  by  day,  neither  shall  the  brightness 
of  the  moon  enlio-hten  thee:  but  the  Lord  shall  be  unto  thee 
for  an  everlasting  light,  and  thy  God  for  thy  glory,"  Ix.  19. 

V.  24.  "  And  the  nations*  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it:  and 
the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  bring  their  glory  and  honour  into 
it."  The  citizens,  who  shall  enjoy  these  blessings  will  be  se- 
lected from  all  the  nations  that  have  espoused  the  Christian 
law.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth  who  have  truly  served  Christ, 
the  King  of  kings,  shall  there  offer  their  homage  to  the  Al- 
mighty and  to  the  Lamb,  and  lay  their  crowns  and  honours 
at  the  foot  of  the  throne. 

V.  25.  "  And  the  gates  thereof  shall  not  be  shut  by  day  : 
for  there  shall  be  no  night  there. 

V.  26.  "And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honour  of  the 
nations  into  it."  The  gates  of  the  city  will  always  be  open, 
as  it  can  suffer  no  danger  from  enemies,  nor  any  disturbance. 
Nor  will  there  be  ever  the  least  obscurity  or  darkness,  its 
light,  which  proceeds  from  God  and  the  Lamb,  remaining  al- 
ways equally  intense  and  inextinguishable.  Some  of  all  ranks 
and  conditions,  out  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  will  there 
be  found  offering  to  the  supreme  Deity  their  glory  and  honour, 
that  is,  their  riches,  their  dignities,  or  whatever  blessings  they 
had  been  possessed  of  in  life.  The  same  glorious  things  we 
hear  from  the  mouth  of  that  ancient  prophet,  who  always  spoke 
with  rapture  of  Christ  and  his  kingdom :  "  Thy  gates  shall 
be  open  continually :  they  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night,  that 
the  strength  of  the  Gentiles  may  be  brought  to  thee,  and  their 
kings  may  be  brought."      Isaiah  Ix.  11. 

V,  27.  "  There  shall  not  enter  into  it  any  thing  defiled,  or 
that  worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie,  but  they  that  are 
written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb."  Such  is  the  holi- 
ness of  the  place,  that  nothing  defiled,  unclean,  nothing  stain- 

*  In  the  Greek,  text,  "  the  nations  of  those  that  are  saved." 


334  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH, 

ed  with  the  abomination  of  idolatry,  injustice,  lying  or  impos- 
ture, or  any  other  species  of  iniquity,  can  enter  there.  It  is  a 
mansion  of  bliss  for  those  only  whose  names  are  written  in 
the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb,  that  is,  for  those  only  who 
have  been  called  and  chosen  by  the  Lamb,  and  whom  he  has 
registered  in  his  book.  Such  expressions  repeatedly  prove 
that  the  city  here  described  is  the  Christian  Jerusalem. 

Chap.  xxii.  1.  "  And  he  showed  me  a  river  of  water  of  life, 
clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  from  the  throne  of  God  and  of 
the  Lamb. 

V.  2.  "In  the  midst  of  the  street  thereof,  and  on  both  sides 
of  the  river,  was  the  tree  of  life,  bearing  twelve  fruits,  yielding 
its  fruits  every  month,  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations." 

Through  this  celestial  abode  runs  a  river  of  water  of  life, 
clear  as  crystal,  which  rises  from  the  foot  of  the  throne  of  God 
and  the  Lamb.  On  the  banks  of  this  river,  as  it  runs  through 
the  middle  of  the  streets,  grows  the  tree  of  life,  bearing  twelve 
different  sorts  of  fruit  which  ripen  every  month:  the  food  of 
which  nourishes  the  inhabitants,  preserves  their  bodies  from 
all  tendency  to  corruption,  and  keeps  them  in  full  vigour  and 
strength  without  the  least  impair  for  all  eternity.  The  leaves 
even  have  the  virtue  of  healing,  or  of  securing  the  body  against 
the  least  attack  of  sickness  or  disease.  An  emblem  of  this 
was  the  tree  of  life  in  Paradise.  With  such  fruit  and  such 
water  the  heavenly  citizens  eat  and  drink  immortality. 

V.  3.  "And  there  shall  be  no  curse  any  more:  but  the 
throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it,  and  his  servants 
shall  serve  him. 

V.  4.  "And  they  shall  see  his  face:  and  his  name  shall  be 
on  their  foreheads."  In  this  blissful  habitation  there  will  be 
no  curse,  there  will  be  no  danger  of  experiencing  the  anger  of 
God  or  his  punishments.  He  and  the  Lamb  will  fix  their 
throne  in  the  midst  of  them,  to  gratify  them  for  ever  with  their 
amiable  presence ;  while  they  with  boundless  affection  will 
offer  their  praise  and  thanksgiving.  Thus  will  the  saints 
see  their  God  face  to  face,  and  enjoy  the  possession  of  him 
with  expressible  and  never-ceasing  joy.  And  they  will 
bear  on  their  foreheads  his  name,  that  is,  the  names  of  God 
and  the  Lamb  expressed  in  one  name,  as  both  are  one  God : 
and  thus  they  will  carry  an  honourable  and  distinctive  mark 
of  their  having  been  the  devoted  servants  of  God  and  the 
Lamb. — We  may  observe,  that  in  this  and  other  places  of  the 
Apocalypse,  where  St.  John  names  together  God  and  the  Lan.b, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  335 

he  always  proceeds  to  speak  of  them  in  the  singular  number, 
to  show  the  unity  of  Godhead. 

V.  5.  "  And  night  shall  be  no  more :  and  they  shall  not 
need  the  light  of  the  lamp,  nor  the  light  of  the  sun,  because 
the  Lord  God  shall  enlighten  them,  and  they  shall  reign  for 
ever  and  ever."  We  saw  abov^e,  xxi.  23  and  25,  nearly  the 
same  things  applied  to  the  city,  which  are  here  promised  to 
the  inhabitants,  who  will  never  more  be  troubled  w^ith  the  vi- 
cissitude of  day  and  night,  but  will  be  cheered  with  perpetual 
day.  Nor  will  they  want  a  sun,  a  lamp,  or  any  other  created 
light ;  because  the  Almighty  himself  will  enlighten  them  with 
the  glory  and  lustre  of  his  divinity,  and  they  will  reign  with 
him  in  an  ocean  of  happiness  for  ever  and  ever. 

Thus  we  have  seen  a  full  description  of  the  heavenly  Jeru- 
salem, that  is,  of  the  triumphant  state  of  the  Christian  Church, 
which,  when  once  begun,  will  last  for  evermore.  The  saints 
here  will  be  filled  with  all  those  gratifications  that  can 
soothe  and  make  happy  the  soul  and  body.  Both  these  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  human  individual,  as  they  concurred  to 
advance  the  glory  of  God  in  the  world,  so  they  will  have  both 
their  respective  objects  of  delight  and  happiness.  But  it  must 
here  be  observed  that,  though  our  explication  has  been  most 
literal,  we  cannot  pretend  to  determine  how  far  the  prophet's 
glorious  description  of  the  heavenly  city  is  to  be  understood  in 
the  literal,  how  far  in  the  allegorical  sense.  We  are  certain 
that  the  happiness  of  the  saints  Avill  be  complete,  but  it  is  not 
allowed  to  man  to  investigate  the  particulars  of  that  future 
state;  for  "eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  it 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  what  things  God  hath  prepared 

for  them  that  love  him."      1  Cor.  ii.  9. To  return  to  the 

text,  St.  John  says : 

V.  6.  *'  And  he  said  to  me :  "  These  words  are  most  faith- 
ful and  true."  Here  is  the  seal  put  to  the  whole  preceding 
account  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  :  The  angel  gives  testi- 
mony that  it  is  most  faithful  and  true,  or  that  it  will  certainly 
take  place,  as  God's  word  and  promise  cannot  fail.  This 
conclusion  is  always  subjoined  to  those  parts  of  the  prophecy 
which  treat  of  the  ultimate  state  of  man,  namely,  a  happy 
eternity.     Then  is  added, 

V.  6.  "  And  the  Lord  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets 
sent  his  angel  to  show  his  servants  the  things  which  must  be 
done  shortly."  That  is,  God  who  inspires  the  prophets  or  is 
the  author  of  all  prophecy,  has  vouchsafed  to  send  his  angel, 
St.  John  the  Baptist,  to  signify  the  preceding  prophecy  of  the 


336  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

Apocalypse  to  his  servants,  agreeably  to  what  was  notified  in 
the  very  beginning  of  it,  ch.  i.  1.  Here  then  seems  to  terminate 
the  prophetical  history  of  the  Christian  Church  We  have 
seen  her  described,  in  her  rise,  in  her  progress,  and  in  the 
principal  events  that  related  to  her.  The  whole  course  of  her 
existence  and  transactions  was  aptly  divided  into  seven  ages, 
the  last  of  which  shows  her  triumphing  in  heaven,  and 
crowned  with  immortal  glory. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CONCLUSION  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  Apocalypse  contains  several 
useful  admonitions  which  claim  our  attention,  and  with  them 
the  book  concludes. 

Apoc.  xxii.  7.  "  Behold  I  come  quickly.  Blessed  is  he 
that  keepeth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book."  Here 
Christ  himself  speaks :  Behold  I  come  quickly,  to  execute  the 
things  delivered  in  this  prophecy:  therefore  blessed  is  he  who 
keepeth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  or  who  attends 
to  what  is  contained  in  this  book,  and  takes  warning  and  in 
struction  from  the  important  events  therein  described.  The 
same  admonition  had  been  given  at  the  beginning,  i.  3 ;  a 
repeated  argument  of  the  extraordinary  usefulness  of  this  book. 

V.  8.  "And  I  John,  who  have  heard  and  seen  these  things." 
Here  St.  John  speaks :  I  John  am  the  person  that  heard  and 
saw  all  these  things  :  by  which  declaration  he  gives  testimony 
of  having  received  from  the  angel  the  w^hole  preceding  pro- 
phecy.    And  then  he  proceeds, 

V.  8.  "  And  after  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to 
adore  before  the  feet  of  the  angel,  who  showed  me  these 
things : 

V.  9.  *'  And  he  said  to  me :  See  thou  do  not :  for  I  am  thy 
fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and  of  them 
that  keep  the  w^ords  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book.  Adore 
God."  St.  John  offers,  as  he  had  done  before,  xix.  10,  his 
homage  of  gratitude  to  the  angel,  St.  John  Baptist,  who  had 
"  shown  him  these  things."  The  angel  refuses  it,  and  tells 
him  to  offer  his  adoration  and  thanks  to  God,  who  is  the  au- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  837 

thor  and  giver  of  this  prophecy.  The  angel  furthermore 
plainly  insinuates,  that  he  has  no  title  to  the  apostle's  thanks, 
nor  is  he  of  a  nature  superior  to  the  apostle  :  for  he  tells  him, 
he  is  his  fellow-servant,  having  been  formerly  so  on  earth ; 
and  fellow-servant  of  his  brethren  the  prophets,  that  is,  of  the 
ministers  of  Christ's  Church :  and  fellow-servant  of  them 
that  keep  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  that  is,  of 
all  the  faithful  Christians  from  the  beginning  of  Christ's 
Church  to  the  end  of  time. 

V.  10.  "And  he  saith  to  me:  Seal  not  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand."  The  angel, 
or  perhaps  Christ,  says  to  St.  John:  Seal  not  the  words  of 
this  prophecy  of  the  book ;  leave  the  book  open,  that  every 
one  may  read  it,  and  be  informed  of  the  contents  ;  because 
the  time  is  at  hand  for  their  accomplishment  to  begin,  or 
which  is  already  begun,  and  which  will  continue  successive- 
ly, till  the  whole  be  completed. 

V.  1 1.  "  He  that  hurteth,  let  him  hurt  still :  and  he  that  is 
filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still:  and  he  that  is  just,  let  him  be 
justified  still :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  sanctified  still." 
That  is,  the  unjust  and  the  wicked,  who  are  obstinately  so, 
may  make  haste,  says  Christ,  to  complete  their  injustice  and 
iniquity:  and  the  just  and  the  holy  should  endeavour  to 
hasten  their  steps  in  sanctifying  and  perfecting  themselves 
more  ;  for, 

V.  12.  "Behold  I  come  quickly;  and  my  reward  is  with 
me,  to  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works."  Behold, 
I  shall  soon  summon  them  by  the  writ  of  death,  to  appear  be- 
fore me,  says  Christ,  and  shall  reward  these  according  to 
their  merits  ;  and  those,  the  impious,  I  shall  punish  in  the  ri- 
gour of  justice,  according  to  the  measure  of  their  iniquity. 
Let  us  then  be  prepared  for  the  summons. 

V.  13.  "I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last,  the 
beginning  and  the  end."  Christ  here  attributes  to  himself  the 
same  divine  qualities,  which  were  assumed  by  Almighty  God. 
Chap,  xxi,  6.  I  am,  says  Christ,  the  beginning  and  the  end. 
I  existed  from  all  eternity,  and  shall  exist  to  all  eternity.  I 
am  the  creator  of  the  universe,  the  conservator  of  it,  and  shall 
put  an  end  to  it.  "  I  am  the  first  and  the  last,"  as  he  had  be- 
fore said,  Chap.  i.  17.  I  am  prior  to  all  mankind,  they  die 
and  return  to  dust,  but  I  am  living  for  ever  and  ever.  I  am 
the  first  founder  of  the  new  Church  on  earth,  and  I  shall  be 
the  last  and  eternal  reward  of  the  same. 

V.  14.   "Blessed  are  they,  that  wash  their   robes  in  the 
29 


338  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

blood  of  the  Lamb:*  that  they  may  have  a  right  to  the  tree 
of  life,  and  may  enter  in- by  the  gates  into  the  city. 

V.  15.  "Without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  unchaste, 
and  murderers,  and  servers  of  idols,  and  every  one  that  loveth 
and  maketh  a  lie."  Christ  continues  to  speak,  and  pronounces 
blessed  those  Christians,  that  wash  their  robes  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb  by  suffering  martyrdom,  or  by  preserving  them- 
selves clean  from  the  filth  of  sin,  and  by  the  observance  of  his 
commands.  These  will  be  entitled  to  be  admitted  through 
the  gates  into  the  city,  that  is,  into  the  mansions  of  the  Christ- 
ian heavenly  Jerusalem ;  where  they  will  have  a  right  to  the 
tree  of  life,  to  eat  the  fruit  of  immortality.  But  all  those 
others  will  be  excluded  from  this  heavenly  city,  who,  after  the 
nature  of  snarling  dogs,  calumniate  and  slander  their  neigh- 
bour; also,  all  sorcerers,  unchaste,  murderers,  idolaters,  and 
those  that  love  and  make  lies,  or  impostors  and  teachers  of 
false  doctrine. 

V.  16.  "I  Jesus  have  sent  my  angel  to  testify  to  you  these 
things  in  the  churches."  Jesus  Christ  here  speaks  and  says  : 
I  have  sent  my  angel,  John  the  Baptist,  to  deliver  to  you,  John 
the  Apostle,  this  my  revelation,  and  to  give  testimony  to  it ; 
that  you  may  transmit  it  in  an  authentic  manner  to  the  seven 
churches  of  Asia,  and  they  to  others. — Christ  continues, 

V.  16.  "I  am  the  root  and  stock  of  David,  the  bright  and 
morning  star."  I  am  the  root  and  stock  or  stem  that  spring 
from  David :  I  am  that  son  of  David,  of  whom  it  was  said : 
"  The  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  David  his 
father,  and  he  shall  reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and 
of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end."  Luke  i.  32,  33.  To 
me  then  were  decreed  all  power  and  dominion:  and  from  me 
flow  the  divine  blessings  to  all  nations,  both  of  redemption 
and  future  immortality.  These  are  my  rights.  I  am  also 
the  bright  and  morning  star  ;  the  true  morning  star  that  shines 
so  bright  above  all  other  stars,  and  that  "  enlighteneth  every 
man  that  comes  into  the  world."  John  i.  9.  "  I  am  that  star, 
the  Orient,  that  enlighteneth  them  who  sit  in  darkness,  and  in 
the  shadow  of  death."  Luke  i.  78,  79.  I  am  the  bright  morn- 
ing- star,  that  guides  mankind  to  the  gate  of  heaven.  "  I  am 
the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life."  John  xiv.  6. — Christ  con- 
tinues, 

V,  17.  "And  the  spirit  and  the  bride  say:  Come.  And 
he  that  heareth,  let  him  say :   Come.     And  he  that  thirsteth, 

♦  In  the  Greek,  "that  observes  his  commandments." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  3S9 

let  him  come :  and  he  that  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life 
freely."  The  Spirit  or  Holy  Ghost,  who  directs  the  Church, 
and  the  bride  of  Christ  or  the  Church  herself,  cry  to  me,  say- 
ing: Come,  hasten  the  general  judgment,  put  an  end  to  the 
labours  of  your  servants,  and  admit  them  into  the  heavenly 
city.  Whoever  heareth  this  cry  of  the  holy  Spirit  and  the 
Church,  let  him  also  say:  Come.  Let  every  one  join  in  the 
same  request,  because  it  is  for  the  ultimate  and  greatest  bless- 
ing. And  if  any  one  thirsteth  after  the  water  of  life,  after  the 
glory  which  I  give,  let  him  come  and  meet  me,  let  him  hasten 
to  me  in  fervour  and  sanctity.  And  he  that  will,  let  him  take 
thfe^water  of  life  freely ;  he  that  desires  to  drink  of  the  water  of 
life,  and  will  take  the  pains  to  come  at  it,  may  have  it  freely 
or  gratis,  without  money,  without  any  other  price  but  faith 
and  good  works,  both  which  proceed  from  the  gratuitous  gift 
of  my  grace:  for  "  without  me  you  can  do  nothing."  John  xv. 
5 :  when  I  crown  your  merits,  I  crown  my  own  gifts. — The 
same  invitation  to  eternal  beatitude,  which  alone  will  satisfy 
all  our  desires,  Almighty  God  formerly  gave  by  his  prophet 
Isaiah :  "  All  you  that  thirst,  come  to  the  waters :  and  you 
that  have  no  money,  make  haste,  buy,  and  eat :  come  ye,  buy 
wine  and  milk,  without  money,  and  without  any  price,"  Iv.  1. 

V.  18.  "For  I  testify  to  every  one  that  heareth  the  words 
of  the  prophecy  of  this  book:  If  any  man  shall  add  to  these 
things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  written  in  this 
book. 

V.  19.  "  And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of 
the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and  from  these  things 
that  are  written  in  this  book."  Christ  had  said  just  before, 
V.  16,  that  he  had  sent  his  angel  to  give  testimony  to  his  pro- 
phecy; and  therefore  he  here  denounces  a  severe  punishment 
upon  all  those,  who  shall  presume  to  add  any  thing  to,  or  de- 
tract from,  this  prophecy  of  the  Apocalypse.  Hence  it  ap- 
pears, with  what  respect  and  caution  it  ought  to  be  read  and 
handled.  And  indeed  whoever  has  studied  the  Apocalypse 
with  attention,  must  have  observed  the  precision  of  it  to  be 
such,  that  a  word  cannot  be  added  or  retrenched  without  dan- 
ger of  derogating  from  the  sense. 

V.  20.  "  He  that  gives  testimony  of  these  things,  saith : 
Surely,  I  come  quickly :  Amen.  Come,  Lord  Jesus."  Christ 
here  gives  testimony  of  these  things,  that  is,  he  bears  wit- 
ness and  gives  his  sanction  to  all  that  is  written  in  this  pro- 
phecy:  and  then  concluding,  proclaims  for  the  third  time* 


840  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

Surely,  I  come  quickly;  I  shall  certainly  come  soon,  for  good 
and  ail,  to  judge  the  whole  body  of  mankind  at  the  last  day, 
and  to  recompense  the  just,  and  punish  the  wicked.  St.  John 
answers  his  divine  master:  Be  it  so,  O  Lord  Jesus:  come, 
and  grant  us,  your  servants,  the  favour  of  enjoying  you  for 
all  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

REFLECTIONS  ON  THE  SEVEN  AGES  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

Thus  have  w^e  taken  a  view  of  the  whole  prophetic  history 
of  the  Apocalypse.  We  have  travelled  through  the  whole 
tract  of  duration,  which  reaches  from  the  rise  of  Christianity 
to  the  fixed  state  of  eternity  after  the  close  of  all  time.  We 
have  seen  the  most  remarkable  transactions,  that  take  place 
in  the  Christian  Church  during  that  whole  period.  And 
thus  Ave  are  arrived  at  last  to  enjoy  a  full  view  of  the  plan  of 
economy  which  Christ,  the  supreme  governor,  observes  in  the 
administration  of  his  Church.  This  plan  appears  truly  grand 
and  admirable.  It  consists  of  three  parts,  contained  under 
the  seals,  the  trumpets,  and  the  vials.  The  trumpets  exhibit 
to  us  the  painful  trials  he  thinks  fit  to  subject  his  people  to. 
The  vials  describe  the  punishments  Avhich  he  inflicts  on  their 
enemies.  The  nature  therefore  of  both  these  parts  of  his 
conduct  towards  his  Church  is  sufficiently  clear :  but  that  of 
the  seals,  it  must  be  allowed,  is  not  so  obvious,  and  may  re- 
quire some  elucidation.  In  the  prelude  to  the  seals  the  Lamb 
was  introduced,  all  power  was  given  him,  the  period  of  his 
sovereignty  was  opened,  and  his  reign  commenced.  This  clue 
leads  us  to  the  understanding  of  the  general  tendency  of  the 
seals.  In  them  we  see  Christ  proceed  to  the  work  of  forming 
and  establishing  his  kingdom  or  Church,  which  he  carries  on 
through  all  ages.  But  as  every  prince,  who  undertakes  to 
conquer  to  himself  a  new  kingdom,  must  necessarily  encoun- 
ter many  enemies  and  obstacles  ;  so  here  Ave  see  enemies  rise 
up  against  Christ,  the  prince  of  the  Christian  kingdom,  and 
oppose  his  undertaking.  I'hus,  in  the  first  seal,  Christ  sets 
out  upon  his  conquests  to  form  his  kingdom  upon  earth.  The 
second  seal  shows  us  the  rise  of  a  body  of  heretics,  the  Arians, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  341 

Christ's  own  subjects,  who  rebel  against  him,  and  attempt  to 
wrest  from  him  part  of  his  kingdom.  The  third  seal  opens 
to  us  the  scene  of  the  subversion  of  pagan  Rome  with  its  em- 
pire, which  is  the  triumph  of  Christ  over  that  mighty  idola- 
trous power,  and  the  establishment  of  his  kingdom  in  its  place. 
In  the  fourth  seal  we  see  again  the  rise  of  another  powerful 
enemy  of  Christ,  namely,  the  Mahometan  or  Antichristian 
empire,  which  deprives  him  of  some  part  of  his  dominions 
for  a  time.  The  fifth  seal  exhibits  to  us  the  martyrs  of  the 
fifth  age,  who  are  told  that  vengeance  will  in  due  time  be  taken 
on  their  persecutors,  for  the  spilling  of  their  blood  :  and  in  the 
mean  time  they  are  clothed  with  the  robe  of  beatitude.  This 
shows  Christ's  economy  with  regard  to  these  his  faithful  and 
valiant  soldiers.  Under  the  sixth  seal  we  see  dreadful  prodi- 
gies and  signs,  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth  in  confusion. 
By  these,  Christ,  the  bountiful  King,  alarms  the  impious  and 
rebellious  part  of  his  people,  and  tries  by  terror  to  bring  them 
back  to  their  allegiance  and  duty,  and  to  reform  them  into 
good  subjects,  before  he  comes  to  judge  them.  The  seventh 
seal  opens  the  scene,  in  which  he  completes  his  work  by 
taking  possession  of  the  whole  earth,  and  putting  an  end  to 
all  other  power.  In  consequence  of  this  he  is  acknowledged 
universal  Lord  and  Master  of  the  world,  and  receives  the  ap- 
plauses and  acclamations  of  the  heavenly  choirs,  who  sing: 
"  The  kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  our  Lord's  and  his 
Christ's,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever."  Apoc.  xi.  15. 
Thus  then  we  see  described  in  the  seals  the  series  of  Christ's 
operations  for  the  formation  and  establishment  of  that  king- 
dom which  was  promised  him  upon  earth.  "  I  beheld,"  says 
Daniel,  "and  lo  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the  clouds 
of  heaven,  and  he  came  even  to  the  Ancient  of  days :  and  they 
presented  him  before  him.  And  he  gave  him  power,  and 
glory,  and  a  kingdom:  and  all  people,  tribes,  and  tongues, 
shall  serve  him :  his  power  is  an  everlasting  power,  that  shall 
not  be  taken  away:  and  his  kingdom,  that  shall  not  be  de- 
stroyed," vii.  13,  14.  Such  in  fine  is  the  abstract  of  the  his- 
tory, that  is  written  in  detail  in  the  book  sealed  with  seven 
seals,  where  this  new  powerful  King,  the  Son  of  man,  had 
laid  down  before  hand  the  whole  plan  of  the  work  he  design- 
ed to  carry  on  during  all  future  ages. 

Here  it  may  be  further  proper  to  remark,  that  the  prophe- 
cies contained  under  the  seals  are  delivered  in  natural  histori- 
cal language  ;   whereas  those  under  the  trumpets  and  vials  are 
expressed  in  allegories :  the  reason  of  which  seems  to  be,  that 
29* 


342  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

as  the  seals  exhibit  to  us  the  abstract  of  a  history  contained 
in  the  book  sealed  with  seven  seals,  this  abstract  must  be  sup- 
posed to  be  written  in  the  same  natural  historical  style  as  the 
full  history  itself  The  style  of  the  trumpets  is  allegorical, 
because,  as  the  trumpets  sound  alarms,  troubles,  and  persecu- 
tions to  the  Church,  a  previous  general  notion  of  them  would 
be  useful  and  at  the  same  time  sufficient,  and  such  is  convey- 
ed to  us  by  obscure  allegory  :  but  a  clear  and  minute  detail  of 
those  calamities  would  naturally  terrify  and  make  too  much 
impression  upon  the  mind.  Likewise,  if  the  punishments  an- 
nounced by  the  vials  were  clearly  and  fully  expressed,  such 
might  be  the  malice  and  perversity  of  some  among  the  guilty 
part  of  mankind,  as  to  attempt  to  frustrate  the  decrees  of  God 
and  oppose  their  execution.  Such  punishments  therefore  are 
purposely  covered  with  the  veil  of  allegory,  the  meaning  of 
which  remains  more  or  less  uncertain. 

In  fine  such  a  compass  of  knowledge,  imparted  to  us  through 
the  channel  of  the  Apocalypse,  ought  to  inspire  us  Avith  the 
warmest  sense  of  gratitude  for  so  signal  a  favour,  and  should 
be  a  powerful  motive  for  making  good  use  of  it.  We  see  laid 
open  to  us  the  course  of  the  dispensations  of  God  towards  man ; 
and  what  subject  can  furnish  us  with  more  useful  instructions, 
for  admiring  the  bounty  of  this  sovereign  administrator,  for 
contemplating  his  wisdom,  and  dreading  his  justice?  To  pro- 
mote this  sort  of  consideration,  we  shall  here  subjoin  a  few 
reflections  upon  each  of  the  seven  ages,  to  which  we  recom- 
mend the  reader  to  add  his  own. 

I. 

In  the  first  age  of  the  Christian  Church,  which  compre- 
hended little  more  than  the  space  of  three  hundred  years,  we 
saw  the  gospel  preached  to  the  greatest  part  of  the  known 
Avorld,  notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  that  earth  and  hell 
could  contrive  against  it.  The  divine  power  shone  in  its  full 
lustre,  and  confounded  all  the  enemies  of  religion.  Miracles 
were  so  frequent,  that  every  day  was  distinguished  by  some 
illustrious  marks  of  supernatural  interposition.  The  meridi- 
an sun  could  not  appear  clearer  and  brighter  than  the  divine 
power  operating  in  favour  of  the  new  promulgated  doctrine. 
In  this  manner  Christ  builded  his  Church  on  such  a  firm 
foundation  as  nothing  could  ever  shake,  and  he  established 
his  religion  by  such  incontestable  proofs  as  no  pretences  could 
invalidate. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  343 

But  the  sanction  of  the  Christian  religion  was  not  only  di- 
vine and  irrefragable,  its  influence  on  the  minds  of  its  profes- 
sors was  altogether  astonishing.  It  inspired  them  with  such 
firmness  of  fortitude,  that  they  were  ready  on  all  occasions  to 
shed  their  blood  in  defence  of  it.  When  put  to  the  trial,  they 
resigned  all  temporal  advantages,  they  were  deaf  to  all  entrea- 
ties and  oifers,  they  viewed  without  emotion  the  racks  and  cru- 
dest torments,  and  bowed  down  their  heads  with  joy  to  the  ex- 
e<:utioner.  Such  was  the  behaviour  of  not  a  few  only,  but  of 
prodigious  numbers.  As  Adam  had  first  yielded  to  sin,  through 
want  of  courage,  and  infinite  calamity  had  fallen  upon  all  his 
posterity,  it  would  seem  that  Almighty  God  designed  that 
fault  should  be  retrieved,  as  far  as  possible  to  human  nature, 
by  the  eminent  fortitude  of  his  new  servants,  the  Christians  ; 
whom  for  that  purpose  he  made  pass  through  most  severe  per- 
secutions, the  acutest  tortures,  and  death  itself  in  its  most  dread- 
ful shapes.  Thus  the  earth  was  bathed  with  Christian  blood, 
but  the  souls  of  the  generous  victims  went  to  share  immortal 
glory  and  power  with  the  Lamb  :  "And  I  saw  seats,"  says 
St.  John,  "  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given 
unto  them,  and  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the 
testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God. — And  they  lived 
and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years."  Apoc.  xx.  4.  The 
spirit  of  the  Christian  doctrine  was  no  less  manifest  in  those 
that  were  left  on  the  stage  of  life.  They  appeared  by  the 
sanctity  of  their  conduct  to  form  a  new  community  entirely 
different  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  they  practised  such 
transcendent  virtues  as  before  were  deemed  impossible.  Some 
entered  into  courses  of  the  severest  austerities,  of  mortifica- 
tion and  fasting.  Others  retired  into  remote  solitudes,  conse- 
crating their  whole  time  to  God,  with  little  or  no  allowance 
to  nature  ;  spending  days,  weeks,  and  years,  in  contemplating 
the  perfections  of  the  Supreme  Being,  in  meditating  on  his 
bountiful  dispensations  to  mankind,  and  in  aspiring  after  that 
state  of  bliss  which  they  hoped  to  succeed  to  after  this  mortal 
life.  Thus  the  infancy  of  the  Church  was  decorated  with  all 
the  highest  ornaments  of  religion.  This  was  the  age  of  Chris- 
tian perfection  :  and  Christ  set  up  the  most  eminent  models  of 
all  the  virtues  human  nature  is  capable  of,  that  he  might  make 
appear  to  the  world  the  power  of  his  grace,  the  excellence  of 
his  doctrine,  and  that  all  future  ages  might  have  before  their 
eyes  perfect  examples  for  their  encouragement  and  imitation. 

On  another  hand  it  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  if  such  be 
the  all  wise  economy  of  the  Almighty  to  put  the  fidelity  of 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

many  of  his  servants  to  the  test,  by  conducting  them  through 
the  fiery  trials  of  persecution,  he  nevertheless  views  with  de- 
testation the  hands  that  inflict  those  severities  on  them.  The 
persecutions  crown  the  faith  and  fortitude  of  the  sufferers. 
But  the  persecutors  are  guilty  of  malice  and  cruelty,  and  in 
consequence  draw  the  divine  vengeance  upon  them.  And 
thus  it  happened  to  the  heathen  Roman  emperors  and  people, 
who  for  spilling  the  Christian  blood,  felt,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
weight  of  God's  judgments.  Many  examples  likewise  of  this 
sort  in  prior  ages  are  recorded  in  holy  writ.  Among  others, 
Sennacherib,  the  Assyrian  king ;  Nabuchodonosor  the  Baby- 
lonian, and  Antiochus  the  Syrian,  were  punished  by  the  hand 
of  God  for  their  malicious  attempts,  and  inhumanities,  against 
his  people,  the  Jews.  The  course  of  his  providence  we  see  is 
the  same  under  the  Christian  dispensation.  For  from  the 
Apocalypse  we  learn,  that  seven  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  are 
poured  out  for  the  punishment  of  the  enemies  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Ought  not  this  reflection  be  sufficient  to  deter  the 
evil-minded  from  directing  their  malice  and  power  against  the 
people  of  that  community  ? 

11. 

In  the  second  age  of  the  Church,  which  begins  about  the 
year  320,  and  contains  nearly  100  years,  we  see  rise  up  a 
scene  of  a  different  kind.  This  age  may  be  styled  the  age  of 
heresy.  In  the  preceding  period  we  saw  a  strenuous  contest 
between  religion  and  idolatry,  between  Christianity  and  pa- 
ganism, or  as  one  may  say,  between  the  Almighty  and  Satan, 
which  should  claim  the  worship  of  mankind.  The  Almighty 
having  vanquished  his  enemy,  and  exploded  idolatry  by 
the  preaching  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  establishing 
the  adoration  of  the  one  supreme  Deity;  Satan,  to  pursue  his 
unrelenting  malice,  shifts  his  ground,  and  renews  his  strata- 
gems, stili  to  defraud  the  Almighty  of  his  right,  and  to  rob 
him,  if  possible,  of  his  favourite  creature  man.  For  that  pur- 
pose this  infernal  fiend,  by  his  wiles,  prevails  upon  an  ambi- 
tious man,  to  renounce  his  allegiance  to  Christ  and  submis- 
sion to  Christ's  Church.  Arius  is  inspired  by  that  spirit  of 
falsehood  with  sentiments  wholly  incompatible  with  the  di- 
vine nature  and  perfections  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  by  divulg- 
insf  those  sentiments  he  sows  the  seeds  of  rebellion  and  here- 
sy.  Though  some  heretical  principles  had  been  set  forth 
in  the  preceding  age,  yet  they  had  been  confined  to  narrow 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  345 

limits  of  place,  and  to  a  small  number  of  abettors :  but  now 
they  show  themselves  with  open  effrontery,  they  seize  whole 
cities,  provinces  and  kingdoms.  They  are  espoused  by  kings, 
emperors,  and  bishops.  The  malignant  spirit  of  heresy 
raises  dissension  and  animosity  among  the  Christians,  the 
Church  is  laid  waste  by  her  own  children,  and  the  seamless 
garment  of  Christ  is  torn  in  pieces.  The  flame  of  division 
blazes  so  high,  that  Christians  do  not  fear  to  seize  the  sword 
and  destroy  one  another.  And  what  is  the  utmost  misfor- 
tune, great  numbers  are  seduced  into  the  snare  of  eternal  per- 
dition. For,  as  no  one  escaped  perishing  in  the  deluge,  who 
was  not  in  Noah's  ark,  as  St.  Cyprian  remarks,  lib.  de  Unit. 
Eccl.  so  no  one  can  hope  to  be  of  the  company  of  the  saints, 
who  separates  himself  from  the  unity  of  the  Church. 

The  rise  of  Arianismx  is  therefore  the  second  general  alarm 
which  Christ  sounds  to  his  Church,  to  try  the  fidelity  of  his 
people,  and  to  give  occasion  of  meriting  a  reward  to  those 
who  remain  stanch  in  their  faith,  and  continue  firm  in  fight- 
ing under  his  standard.  The  crown  of  immortal  glory  and 
happiness  is  of  too  high  a  value  to  be  wholly  a  gratuitous  gift. 
We  must  purchase  it  by  labour,  by  suffering,  by  maintaining 
our  fortitude  and  constancy  in  the  different  trials  sent  us  by 
Providence.  No  one  will  be  crowned  but  he  that  has  fought 
well. 

If  on  one  hand  Christ  is  faithful  to  his  promises  in  reward- 
ing his  servants,  on  the  other  those  escape  not  his  indigna- 
tion, Avhether  heretics  or  idolaters,  that  seduce  his  people  by 
false  doctrine,  or  lay  waste  his  fold  by  the  sword  of  persecu- 
tion. Thus  the  Arians,  the  strongest  body  of  heretics  that 
ever  assaulted  the  Church,  sunk  in  proportion  to  their  former 
power,  even  so  as  to  vanish  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  In  a 
period  of  about  340  years  from  their  first  appearance,  they 
were  no  more  to  be  found.  This  and  the  other  examples  of 
divine  judgments,  which  the  vials  discover  to  us,  make  a  con- 
vincing proof,  that  no  nation,  no  collective  body  of  people  ever 
rebel  against  the  Church,  or  persecute  it  with  impunity.  The 
divine  vindictive  hand  in  due  time  overtakes  them,  and  for- 
ces them  to  acknowledge  from  their  own  sad  experience,  that 
Christ  is  the  faithful  protector  of  his  Church,  and  the  certain 
scourge  of  her  enemies. 

III. 

The  third  age,  which  commences  about  the  year  406,  and 
contains  220  years  nearly,  is  remarkable  for  the  judgments  of 


346  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

God  upon  ancient  Rome  and  the  western  empire.  The  Al- 
mighty, who  is  the  Creator  of  the  universe  and  sole  Lord  of 
all,  necessarily  claims  all  homage  from  his  creatures,  nor  can 
he  suffer  that  greatest  of  all  impieties,  the  transferring  to  any 
other  being,  the  honour  that  is  due  to  himself  alone.  Rome 
had  sacrilegiously  employed  its  great  power  for  the  support 
of  idolatry;  it  had  also  opposed  with  its  -whole  might  the 
establishment  of  Christ's  kingdom,  and  had  most  inhumanly 
persecuted  his  servants,  and  shed  the  innocent  blood  of  an 
infinite  number  of  them.  The  Almighty,  after  sach  enor- 
mous provocations,  at  length  rises  up  in  his  wrath,  and  pours 
down  the  whole  torrent  of  it  upon  that  guilty  empire.  He 
had  before,  as  we  have  seen,  struck  those  emperors,  who  had 
notoriously  pursued  the  same  impious  and  audacious  courses. 
But  now  the  sovereign  punisher  of  iniquity  sends  out  against 
the  whole  empire  of  Rome  a  multitude  of  barbarous  people, 
who  pour  in  upon  it  like  fierce  tigers,  tear  it  to  pieces,  destroy 
its  inhabitants,  and  demolish  its  cities,  with  Rome  itself  But 
why  should  Ave  wonder  at  this  striking  instance  of  divine 
vengeance,  while  we  see  the  same  plan  of  economy  followed 
in  the  preceding  ages  ?  Do  we  not  read  in  the  written  word 
of  God,  that  a  similar  fate  had  attended  the  empires  and  cities 
of  Ninive  and  Babylon  ?  Were  not  Tyre  and  Sidon  devoted 
in  the  same  manner  to  destruction?  Was  not  the  opulent 
and  populous  kingdom  of  Egypt  overturned  and  enslaved? 
These  kingdoms,  cities,  and  several  others,  owed  their  ruin  to 
an  angry  God,  who  would  suffer  no  longer  their  pride,  idol- 
atry and  wickedness.  "  Behold  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  God 
are  upon  the  sinful  kingdom,  and  I  will  destroy  it  from  the 
face  of  the  earth."  Amos  ix.  8.  Nay  even,  he  would  not  spare 
his  chosen  land  and  beloved  seat  of  Jerusalem.  When  his 
people  had  renounced  their  fidelity  to  him,  and  adopted  strange 
gods  in  his  place,  he  sent  upon  them  a  scourge,  Nabuchodo- 
nosor,  the  Babylonian  king  who  ravaged  the  country,  level- 
led the  city  and  temple  with  the  ground,  destroyed  by  famine, 
fire  and  sword,  a  great  part  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  rest  he 
carried  into  captivity.  When  the  Jews,  by  their  repentance, 
had  recovered  their  favour  with  God,  and  in  consequence  their 
land  and  city,  we  see  again,  upon  their  new  rebellion,  and 
the  most  grievous  of  all  iniquities,  in  putting  to  death  their 
Messiah  and  Saviour,  the  wrath  of  God  inflamed  to  such  a 
degree,  as  to  devote  to  destruction  a  prodigious  multitude  of 
them  by  the  severest  scourges  that  could  be  inflicted  on  man- 
kind.    Their  city  was  also  entirely  demolished,  and  the  re- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  347 

mainder  of  the  people  expelled  from  their  country,  dispersed 
oyer  the  whole  face  of  the  earth,  exposed  as  objects  of  de- 
rision to  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  continue  to  this  day  a  last- 
ing- monument  of  the  divine  indionation. 

That  the  same  course  of  divine  providence  in  punishing 
wicked  nations  is  still  pursued,  we  learn  clearly  from  the 
Apocalypse.  Hence  then  appears,  how  necessary  is  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  fear  of  God,  and  how  essential  it  is  to  man  to  re- 
vere the  sovereign  Deity  and  respect  his  commands.  Should 
not  these  considerations  impress  a  check  on  the  proceedings 
of  princes  in  the  administration  of  their  governments?  If 
the  sovereign  King  of  heaven  and  eartli  is  not  invited  to  share 
in  their  councils,  but  if  politic  views  direct  solely  their  steps 
without  regard  to  equity,  or  if  ambition,  resentment,  or  any 
other  passion,  wholly  sways  their  cpnduct,  what  injustices, 
what  crimes,  may  not  be  the  result,  in  the  guilt  of  which  their 
whole  states  become  generally  involved  ?  Then  what  is  the 
consequence?  Such  national  deviation  from  the  Law  of  God, 
certainly  provokes  the  divine  vengeance,  as  appears  from  what 
has  been  said,  and  is  the  cause  of  the  dreadful  disasters  that 
sooner  or  later  befall  those  states,  and  often  terminate  in  their 
utter  ruin.  How  much  would  it  be  the  interest  of  princes  to 
attend  to  the  admonition  of  the  great  and  wise  king  David  ! 
"And  now,  O  ye  kings,  understand:  receive  instruction,  you 
that  judge  the  earth.  Serve  ye  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  re- 
joice unto  him  with  trembling.  Embrace  discipline,  lest  the 
Tjord  become  angry."  Psalm  ii.  10,  &c. 

IV. 

The  fourth  Age  comprehends  a  period  of  nine  centuries, 
from  about  the  year  620  to  1520.  But  if  the  length  of  this, 
exceeds  that  of  the  preceding,  we  may  observe,  it  is  compen- 
sated by  the  importance  of  three  different  successive  events. 
The  rise  of  Mahom.et  and  the  Mahometan  empire  distin- 
guishes the  first  part  of  this  period.  We  are  astonished  at 
the  success  of  that  great  impostor,  and  at  the  progress  his 
successors  have  made  in  conquering  the  world.  It  is  like- 
wise a  subject  of  surprise,  that  Christ,  who  is  the  "  Prince  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth,"  Apoc.  i.  5,  should  suffer  such  an 
enemy  to  rise  up,  to  establish  a  doctrine  quite  opposite  to  that 
he  himself  had  taught,  and  to  re-introduce  death  into  the 
world  by  exploding  the  very  source  of  salvation,  the  redemp- 
tion from  sin.     But  our  surprise  will  abate,  when  we  consi- 


348  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

der,  thai  those  nations,  which  adopted  this  Antichristian  reli- 
gion, had  made  themselves  in  great  measure  deservedly  ob- 
noxious to  so  dreadful  a  judgment.  The  Christian  countries 
of  Asia,  and  Africa,  and  some  eastern  provinces  in  Europe, 
had  been  guilty  of  manifold  inconstancy  and  perfidy,  in  relin- 
quishing the  true  faith  to  espouse  the  heretical  and  schisma- 
tical  doctrines  of  Arius,  Macedonius,  Donatus,  Nestorius, 
Eutyches,  Pelagius,  Photius,  &c.  while  the  most  part  of  west- 
ern Christendom  remained  firm  in  their  adherence  to  the 
unity  of  faith.  What  wonder  then,  if  Almighty  God  suffered 
the  Orientals  to  run  into  a  precipice,  who  had  already  volun- 
tarily left  the  path  of  truth? 

The  second  interesting  event  that  distinguishes  this  age,  is 
a  dismal  alarm  sounded  to  the  Church,  namely,  the  defection 
of  the  Greeks  from  the  faith,  which,  like  a  great  earthquake, 
shook  the  continent  of  Christendom,  and  severed  a  great 
number  of  fair  eastern  churches  from  the  body  of  the  faithful. 
Pride,  ambition,  jealousy,  fondness  of  novelty,  or  such  like  vici- 
ous dispositions,  are  the  general  origin  of  heresiesand schisms. 
The  Orientals  suffered  themselves  to  be  guided  by  such  pas- 
sions, and  in  consequence  they  bewildered  themselves  in  error, 
and  withdrew  from  the  communion  of  their  Catholic  brethren. 
Rebellion  often  grows  contumacious ;  and  effectually  they 
aggravated  highly  their  guilt,  b}'-  obstinately  rejecting  all 
means  offered  them  for  their  reconciliation  with  God  and  his 
Church.  Such  a  grievous  and  lasting  provocation  armed 
the  avenging  hand  of  God,  which  made  use  of  the  Mahome- 
tans as  a  scourge  to  punish  them.  This  punishment,  which 
proved  very  severe,  was  the  third  momentous  transaction  that 
characterized  the  fourth  age. 

And  may  we  not  here  bewail  the  misfortune  and  stubborn 
blindness  of  the  present  Greeks.  Avho  though  so  fully  admo- 
nished by  the  punishment  of  their  forefathers,  under  which 
they  themselves  lie  groaning,  yet  remain  hardened  and  in- 
flexible? But,  what  indeed  is  highly  deplorable,  our  Christ- 
ian prophet  had  said  of  them  ;  "They  did  not  penance  to  give 
God  glory." — See  the  fourth  vial.  Christ,  who  essentially 
loves  concord  and  union,  commanded  the  same  to  be  observed 
among  his  followers,  and  in  that  view  addressed  his  heavenly 
Father  by  a  special  prayer.  "  Not  for  them  only  do  I  pray, 
(said  he,)  but  for  them  also  who  through  their  word  shall  be- 
lieve in  me  :  that  they  may  be  one,  as  thou  (Father)  in  me, 
and  I  in  thee :  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us."  John  xvii. 
20,  21.     To  fix  this  necessary  union  and  make  it  stable,  he 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  349 

established  the  centre  of  it  in  one  person,  the  person  of  St. 
Peter  and  each  of  his  successors.  "  Thou  art  Peter,"  (that  is 
a  rock)  said  our  Saviour,  "  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  Church  "  Matt.  xvi.  18.  He  told  St.  Peter  again  on  ano- 
ther occasion  :  *'  I  have  prayed  for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not, 
and  thou  being  once  converted,  confirm  thy  brethren."  Luke 
xxii.  32.  Here  then  is  the  centre,  with  which  the  whole  cir- 
cle of  the  Church  must  be  linked,  and  connected  by  the  bond 
of  union  and  faith.  Whoever  breaks  this  chain,  dissolves  as 
much  as  in  him  lies  the  work  of  Christ,  and  disunites  him- 
self from  the  society  of  his  brethren.  Such  has  been  the 
crime  of  the  Greeks,  who  renouncing  communion  with  the 
successor  of  St.  Peter,  have  set  up  in  his  room  one  of  their 
own  bishops,  equally  schismatical  with  themselves.  "  Christ 
has  builded  his  church,"  says  St.  Cyprian,  "upon  one,  who  is 
Peter  :  and  has  placed  one  chair.  He  has  indeed  given  to 
all  bishops  the  full  participation  of  power  equally  to  govern 
their  flocks,  all  deriving  their  authority  from  Christ:  but  the 
beginning  arises  from  unity  in  Peter."  De  Unit.  Eccl.  The 
breaking  of  this  tie  of  *'  Unity  in  Peter,"  was  the  occasion  of 
the  heavy  disasters  that  have  fallen  upon  the  Greeks,  and 
which  they  continue  to  labour  under  at  this  day.  And  is 
there  not  further  reason  to  apprehend  that  their  oppressions 
will  not  be  alleviated,  if  not  even  made  heavier,  as  long-  as 
they  -return  not  to  what  they  so  criminally  abandoned,  the 
centre  of  unity  in  Peter  ?  This  indeed  they  found  clearly  pre- 
dicted  in  the  revelations  of  St.  Bridget,  who  died  in  the  year 
1373.  Bat  as  to  what  degree  of  authority  and  credit  these 
revelations  may  claim,  we  shall  say  nothing  ourselves,  but  re- 
fer the  reader  to  the  learned  Cardinal  Lambertini,  afterwards 
Pope  Benedict  XIV.  who  writes  thus  :  *'  Though  an  assent 
of  Catholic  faith  be  not  due  to  such  revelations,  they  deserve 
a  human  assent,  according  to  the  rules  of  prudence,  by  which 
they  are  probable  and  piously  credible,  as  the  revelations  of 
B.  Hildegardis,  St.  Bridget,  and  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna." 
De  Canoiiiz.  Sanct.  I.  2.  c.  32.  n.  \\.  The  passage  in  St. 
Bridofet's  works  relatinof  to  the  Greeks  runs  thus  :  "  Be  it 
known  to  the  Greeks,  that  their  empire  and  their  kingdoms, 
or  dominions,  will  never  stand'  secure,  nor  in  settled  peace  ; 
but  that  they  will  always  be  held  in  subjection  by  their  ene- 
mies, from  whom  they  will  ever  suffer  most  grievous  hard- 
ships and  constant  distresses,  until  they  shall  have  sincerely 
submitted  themselves  with  true  humility  and  good  will  to  the 
Church  of  Rome  and  to  her  faith,  conforming  themselves  en- 
30 


350  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

tirely  to  the  holy  ordinances  and  rites  of  that  church."     Re- 
vel, lib.  7.  c.  19. 

How  certain  and  at  the  same  time  how  terrible  are  the 
judgments  of  God  !  "  Who  knoweth  the  povVer  of  thy  anger  : 
and  for  thy  fear  can  number  thy  wrath'?"  Psalm  89.  II, 
But  we  must  acknowledge  that  "just  and  true  are  thy  ways 
O  King  of  ages."  Apoc.  xv.  3.  The  Babylonians  and  other 
pagan  nations  were  the  scourge  of  God's  wrath  upon  the 
Jews.  The  barbarous  nations  of  the  north  went  forth,  by 
virtue  of  a  divine  sentence,  against  idolatrous  Rome  and  her 
empire,  both  which  they  demolished.  We  then  see  rise  up, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century;  a  new  and  for- 
midable power,  that  of  the  Mahometans,  a  people  inspired  by 
the  devil  with  an  implacable  hatred  to  the  Christian  name. 
These  seem  to  be  designed  by  the  Almighty  to  serve  as  his 
instrument  for  chastising  his  rebellious  and  bad  subjects 
among  the  Christians  through  all  succeeding  times.  They 
enslaved  the  eastern  countries  ;  and  they  have  swallowed  up 
the  CoRstantinopolitan  empire  of  the  Greeks.  They  will 
spread  havoc  and  destruction  through  the  Christian  Church 
in  the  sixth  age,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  Apocalyptical  account 
of  that  period  of  time. 


The  remarkable  transactions  that  characterize  the  fifth 
Age,  are  more  generally  known,  as  they  stretch  to  our  own 
times,  and  touch  us  more  nearly.  The  Reformation,  first  set 
on  foot  and  propagated  by  Luther  about  the  year  1520  or  1525, 
is  the  Epoch  of  the  present  age,  the  period  of  which  to  the 
pouring  out  of  the  Vial  consists  of  three  hundred  years,  of 
which  two  hundred  and  fifty  are  nearly  elapsed.*  Many 
have  been  the  troubles,  as  we  have  seen,  which  the  spirit  of 
novelty  occasioned  in  different  parts  of  Christendom.  The 
mischief,  which  the  eastern  part  had  sustained  by  the  de- 
fection of  the  Greeks,  was  aftervvards  brought  upon  the  west- 
ern by  the  protestants.  The  Church  of  Christ  sat  bewailing 
the  loss  of  a  great  number  of  her  children ;  and  she  saw  be- 
sides with  unspeakable  grief  an  endless  train  of  disputes,  dis- 
sensions, and  animosities,  the  new  heresies  had  given  birth  to. 
Several  countries,  particularly  Germany,  were  subjected  to 
great  calamities,  the  consequence  of  wars  that  were  kindled 

*  This  work  was  first  printed  in  the  year  1771. 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  851 

by  the  same  fire.  Dreadful  violences  were  committed,  and 
severe  persecutions  followed,  in  which  many  suffered  death 
for  their  adherence  to  the  ancient  faith.  Indeed  what  else 
could  be  expected,  the  work  being  carried  on  by  the  "  Angel 
of  Extermination?" 

After  the  period  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  by  a 
special  mercy  of  the  Almighty,  the  severities  exercised  by  the 
reformed  against  the  Catholics  began  to  abate,  that  spirit  of 
animosity  against  the  Mother  church  in  some  degree  cooled  ; 
and  at  this  day,  though  most  of  the  former  persecuting  laws 
subsist,  we  have  the  comfort  to  see  them  less  attended  to,  and 
not  so  strictly  put  in  execution.  All  this  was  fully  intimated, 
as  we  have  seen,  in  the  Apocalyptical  account  of  this  age. 
But  though  the  persecutions  be  less  rigorous  in  the  present 
times,  yet  we  cannot  but  lament  to  see  the  many  temptations 
that  lie  in  the  way,  to  w^ithdraw  the  weak,  the  tepid,  the  am- 
bitious, and  the  covetous,  from  the  right  path,  and  engage 
them  in  an  erroneous  one  that  suits  better  their  inclinations. 
Hence  arises  a  deplorable  spectacle  to  well  thinking  persons, 
of  so  many  that  choose  to  sacrifice  their  religion  to  some 
worldly  advantages  that  are  offered  them,  or  to  some  disorder- 
ly passions  which  they  can  by  their  apostacy  more  freely 
gratify. 

The  world  was  very  sensible,  that  Christ  had  established 
his  Church,  fifteen  hundred  years  before  the  existence  of  the 
reformation,  and  that  he  had  communicated  his  spirit  to  her, 
by  which  he  had  solemnly  promised  she  should  be  guided 
through  all  ages.  "  I  \vi\\  ask  the  Father,"  said  Christ,  "  and 
he  w^ill  give  you  another  Paraclete,  that  he  may  abide  with 
you  for  ever,  the  spirit  of  truth — And  he  will  teach  you  all 
things."  John  xiv.  16,  17,  26.  The  reforming  teachers  came 
therefore  fifieen  hundred  years  too  late,  and  as  they  presumed 
to  publish  a  doctrine  contrary  to  what  was  taught  in  the 
Church,  its  novelty  became  its  own  condemnation.  Never- 
theless they  were  resolved  to  make  it  pass  upon  mankind  for 
divine  truth.  But  to  efl^ect  this,  they  should  have  ascertained 
it  by  the  intervention  of  miraculous  works,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  apostles  had  originally  established  Christianity. 
"  Let  them  prove,"  said  Tertullian,  speaking  of  the  heretics 
of  his  own  time,  "  Let  them  prove  themselves  to  be  new 
apostles — let  them  produce  their  miracles."  L.  de  Prffiscrip. 
c.  30.  But  the  reformers  never  were  able  to  procure  such  a 
divine  sanction. 

To  supply  this  defect,  and  to  acquire  credit  to  their  new 


S52  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

systems,  what  measure  did  they  take  ?  They  employed  an 
artifice,  we  are  sorry  to  say  it,  suggested  undoubtedly  by  that 
angel  of  the  bottomless  pit  who  was  their  governor  and  guide, 
namely,  to  indulge  human  nature,  by  gratifying  the  passions, 
by  allowing  such  freedom  and  latitude  in  the  practice  of  virtue, 
as  religion  had  never  admitted.  They  banished  at  once  all 
those  mortifications,  which  distinguished  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  were  ordained  by  its  author  as  the  principal  exer- 
cises to  merit  eternal  life ;  such  as  fasting,  abstinence,  confes- 
sion of  sins,  penance,  &c.  They  pretended  that  all  these 
practices  were  of  no  signification,  that  they  were  even  intole- 
rable encroachments  on  Christian  liberty,  and  that  faith  alone 
sufficed  for  salvation.  Bv  these  means  they  let  loose  the  hu- 
man passions,  they  enfranchised  man  from  all  constraint,  and 
in  fine,  they  boasted  of  having  smoothed  the  way  to  heaven. 
But,  "  thy  silver  is  turned  into  dross :  thy  wine  is  mingled 
with  u'ater."  Isai.  i.  22.  For,  our  Saviour  had  said:  "If  any 
man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  me."  Matt.  xvi.  24.  But,  instead  of  the 
thorny  way  of  self-denial  and  the  cross,  they  opened  a  path 
strewed  with  roses.  What  wonder  then,  if  so  many  took  them 
for  their  guides,  and  espoused  their  maxims  ?  Our  Saviour 
again  tells  us,  that  "  narrow  is  the  gate,  and  strait  is  the  way, 
that  leadeth  to  life :  and  few  there  are  that  find  it."  Matt.  vii. 
14.  On  the  contrary,  the  new  gospellers  inform  us,  that  the 
way  to  heaven  is  broad  and  easy ;  and  they  offer  to  conduct 
us  through  it  with  little  or  no  difficulty,  because,  say  they,  our 
Saviour  took  upon  himself  the  load  of  hardships  that  should 
have  been  our  portion,  and  has  sustained  them  in  our  stead. 
But,  "  wo  to  them  that  sew  cushions  under  every  elbow  :  and 
make  pillows  for  the  heads  of  persons  of  every  age  to  catch 
souls."  Ezech.  xiii.  18.  Thus  a  survey  of  the  doctrine  and 
practical  maxims  of  the  reformers  poiiits  out  clearly,  to  us  the 
judgment  we  ought  to  pass  upon  their  cliaracter,  according  to 
the  criterion  Christ  has  given  us:  "  A  good  tree  cannot  bring 
forth  evil  fruit.  Neither  can  an  evil  tree  bring  forth  good 
fruit.  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them." 
Matt.  vii.  1 8,  20. 

It  would  be  a  mntter  of  surprise,  that  men  nursed  in  the 
bosom  of  Christianity  could  adopt  and  teach  such  unchristian 
doctrines,  if  we  did  not  see  the  source  of  it,  which  lies  in  tho 
malign  influence  of  their  perfidious  instructer,  Abaddon,  Ho 
laid  open  the  waj'-  to  introduce  into  their  minds  the  most 
absurd  tenets,  by  separating  them  first  from  that  Church,   "  tiie 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  353 

pillar  and  ground  of  truth,"  1  Tim.  iii.  15,  which  had  been 
constituted  the  repository  of  genuine  doctrine  and  morality 
We  cannot  but  lament  that  the  pc  rfidious  prompter  prevailed 
upon  them  to  renounce  the  authority  of  that  infallible  guide, 
and  to  set  up  their  own  in  its  place ;  and  thus  he  prepared 
them  to  receive  his  dictates,  and  to  change  the  whole  system 
of  the  Christian  faith.  But  novelty  in  faith  is  an  infallible 
mark  of  heresy.  Tlie  doctrinal  articles  of  scripture  are  not 
to  be  interpreted  by  every  man's  private  conceit,  which 
would  be  infinitely  various,  but  by  the  tradition  derived  from 
the  apostles  and  perpetuated  by  their  lawful  successors.  For 
as  St.  Vincent  of  Lerius  observes :  "  It  is  the  part  of  true 
Christian  moderation  not  to  impose  one's  own  opinions  upon 
posterity,  but  to  adhere  to  what  has  been  transmitted  to  us  by 
our  predecessors."  Comm.  c.  9.  The  same  is  urged  very 
strongly  by  Tertullian  :  "  The  apostles,"  says  he,  "  published 
the  faith  to  the  Gentiles,  and  constituted  churches  in  every 
city;  from  which  the  other  churches  derived  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  faith  and  seeds  of  doctrine ;  and  from  which  also 
other  churches  do  daily  derive  in  the  same  manner,  or  they 
could  not  possibly  be  true  churches.  For  this  reason  then 
they  have  the  reputation  of  apostolic,  because  they  are  the 
offspring  of  apostolic  churches.  For  every  kind  mast  cer- 
tainly be  traced  up  to  its  original.  And  on  this  account  every 
other  doctrine  is  to  be  deemed  false  and  spurious,  that  is  not 
conformable  to  the  truth  taught  by  these  apostolic  churches." 
De  Prsescrip.  c.  20,  21.  And  again :  "  What  was  first  delivered, 
was  the  doctrine  of  our  Lord  and  of  truth;  what  is  of  later  date, 
can  be  no  other  than  the  tenets  of  falsehood,  mere  fictions. 
And  this  observation  will  stand  firm  and  immoveable  against 
all  novel  heresies  which  labour  under  the  consciousness  of 
not  having  this  antiquity  to  plead  in  their  defence."  Ibid.  c.  31. 
But  the  licentious  spirit  of  forming  new  tenets  of  faith  and 
new  rules  of  life  in  this  fifth  age,  not  only  invaded  and  set 
aside  the  general  authority  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  but  in 
particular  bent  its  virulence  and  rancour  against  the  Church 
of  Rome.  The  reason  was  plain  :  because  the  special  province 
of  that  Church  is,  to  oppose  all  innovations  in  faith,  and  to 
suppress,  as  far  as  possible,  the  tares  that  spring  up  among 
the  good  corn.  Such  all  antiquity  had  acknowledged  to  be 
the  charge  committed  to  that  Church.  To  that  Church 
therefore  the  reformers  owed  respect  and  obedience ;  to  that 
Church,  "  the  greatest,"  as  St.  Irenseus  speaks,  "  the  most 
ancient  and  known  to  all,  founded  at  Rome  by  the  two  most 
30* 


354  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

glorious  apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  which  retains  the  tradition 
it  received  from  them,  and  which  is  derived  through  a  suc- 
cession of  bishops  down  to  ii?  Showing  which  we  confound 
all  who  any  way  out  of  se.f-conceit,  love  of  applause,  blind- 
ness of  false  persuasions,  embrace  what  ought  not  to  be 
taught.  For  to  this  Church  of  Rome,  on  account  of  its  more 
chief  presidentship,  it  is  necessary  that  every  church,  that  is, 
the  faithful  every  where,  address  themselves."  Lib.  3.  contra. 
Haeres.  How  happy  might  it  have  been  for  the  reformers  of 
these  late  times,  if  upon  cool  reflection  they  had  applied  to 
ihemselves  what  St.  Optatus  in  the  fourth  century  spoke  to 
the  Donatist  heretics:  "You  cannot  deny,"  said  he,  "that 
you  know  the  episcopal  chair  was  first  given  to  Peter  in 
the  city  of  Rome,  in  which  first  sat  the  head  of  the  Apostles, 
Peter ;  which  chair  was  one,  that  all  others  might  preserve 
unity  by  the  union  they  had  with  it,  and  lest  the  other 
apostles  should  erect  and  defend  chairs  to  themselves  :  so  that 
now  he  is  a  schismatic  and  an  offender,  who  sets  up  another 
against  the  only  chair."     JLib.  2. 

We  shall  here  add  one  general  observation  relative  to  the 
plan,  which  Christ  seems  to  follow  in  the  government  of  his 
kingdom  on  earth.  Whenever  he  permits  an  enemy  to  wrest 
from  him  any  part  of  his  church  by  heresy,  schism,  or  infi- 
delity, we  see  that  at  the  same  time  he  proceeds  to  conquer 
new  countries  by  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  incorpo- 
rate them  in  his  dominions.  From  the  first  foundation  of  his 
kingdom  he  "  went  forth  conquering  that  he  might  conquer," 
Apoc.  vi.  2 ;  which  he  continues  to  do  through  all  ages. 
Thus  the  breaches  made  in  his  church  by  the  heresy  of  Arius 
and  the  Greek  schism,  he  repaired  by  the  conversion  of  new 
nations  to  the  faith  :  as  may  be  seen  in  ecclesiastical  history. 
But  never  was  this  economy  more  remarkable  than  at  the 
time  of  the  rise  of  the  reformation.  For,  about  that  period, 
the  new  great  continent  of  America  was  discovered,  and  the 
Catholic  faith  carried  thither,  and  diffused  over  vast  countries 
of  it.  About  the  same  time  the  Gospel  was  also  announced  to 
the  distant  people  of  the  great  empire  of  China  with  prodigious 
success ;  it  was  likev/ise  carried  into  the  kingdom  of  Japan, 
and  into  most  of  those  immense  tracts  of  land  and  the  islands, 
comprised  under  the  name  of  the  East  Indies,  where  the 
preaching  of  zealous  ministers  sent  by  the  apostolic  see  con- 
verted multitudes  of  people,  and  thus  greatly  enlarged  the  do- 
minions of  Christ's  kingdom.  If  then  the  late  heresies,  under 
the  denomination  of  the  reformed  religion,  have  lopped  off  a 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  855 

considerable  portion  of  country  in  Europe  from  the  Catholic 
Church,  the  loss  has  been  abundantly  retrieved  by  the  acces- 
sion of  much  larger  regions  elsewhere  that  have  embraced 
her  communion. 

In  regard  to  the  vial  of  this  age,  we  shall  add  nothing 
more,  to  what  has  been  said  of  it  in  its  place,  than  the  follow- 
ing- admonition.  If  the  true  servants  of  God,  faithful  members 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  observe  that  towards  fifty  years  from 
the  present  date,*  the  state  of  kingdoms  and  the  course  of 
public  affairs  seem  to  presage  the  approaching  effusion  of  the 
fifth  vial,  accordingly  as  we  have  intimated,  then  "  Go  out 
from  her,  my  people :  that  you  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins, 
and  that  you  receive  not  of  her  plagues,  "Apoc.  xviii.  4  : 
fly  from  the  countries  of  wrath  and  perdition. 

VL 

The  sixth  Age  is  the  last  of  the  Christian  Church  militant 
on  earth.  The  time  of  its  commencement  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained, much  less  its  final  period,  that  is,  the  day  of  judgment, 
Avhich,  as  our  Saviour  says,  "no  man  knoweth,  neither  the 
angels  in  heaven,  nor  the  Son,  but  the  Father."  Mark  xiii. 
32.  Among  various  sentiments  touching  the  duration  of  this 
world,  that  seems  to  have  prevailed  most,  which  fixes  its  pe- 
riod at  about  six  thousand  years  :  but  as  all  is  uncertain  with 
respect  to  this  point,  we  shall  not  trouble  the  reader  with  any 
discussion  about  it  The  Apocalyptical  description  of  the 
sixth  age  paints  it  in  colours,  that  leave  no  doubt  it  will  be 
the  most  turbulent,  the  most  calamitous,  and  most  persecuting 
of  all  other  ages.  How  alarming  and  how  terrible  will  ap- 
pear those  extraordinary  and  unnatural  signs  in  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  the  earthquakes,  the  enormous  swellings  and 
roarings  of  the  sea,  the  bloody  wars  and  battles,  &c.  !  Both 
our  Saviour  in  the  Gospel  and  St.  John,  in  the  Apocalypse, 
express  sufficiently  the  impression  these  calamities  will 
make  on  mankind,  by  saying,  "  that  men  will  sink  away  for 
fear,  and  call  upon  the  mountains  to  fall  upon  them  and  cover 
them."  How  dreadful  will  be  the  destruction  made  by  the 
terrible  army  of  Antichrist !  How  cruel  and  bloody  his  per- 
secution, which  will  last  three  years  and  an  half!  These 
shocking  events,  which  throw  confusion  in  the  whole  system 
of  nature,  will  be  certain  presages  of  the  approaching  dissolu- 

*  Printed  1771, 


356  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRIrfTfAN  CHURCH, 

tion  of  the  whole  structure  of  the  world.  Happy  those  men, 
who  shall  take  due  warning  from  them,  and  shall  consider 
them  in  a  true  light. 

And  here  we  ought  to  acknowledge  the  particular  favour 
the  Almighty  God  is  pleased  to  grant  us,  in  giving  us  pre- 
vious notice  of  the  disasters  attending  the  sixth  age,  that  we 
may  prepare  for  them.  And  this  duty  is  the  more  incumbent 
on  us,  since  we  touch  so  near  that  period,  that  the  next  gene- 
ration or  next  but  one,  will  probably  see  some  part  of  it.  For 
after  the  fifth  vial  is  poured  out,  which  we  have  shown  will 
be  done  about  fifty  years  hence,*  we  do  not  know  how  soon 
the  commencement  of  the  sixth  age  may  follow.  There  even 
seem  to  appear  already  some  indications  of  the  approach  of 
that  period.  For  the  Almighty,  in  his  wisdom  and  mercy, 
before  he  pours  down  heavy  disasters,  generally  sends  lesser 
calamities  by  the  way  of  admonition  :  and  thus  we  see  in 
these  present  times  greater  irregularities  in  the  seasons  of  the 
year  than  used  to  be,  more  dearth  and  distress,  earthquakes 
more  frequent,  &c.  all  which  may  be  esteemed  a  prelude  to 
those  much  more  dreadful  disasters  of  the  next  age.  Who 
would  not  then  judge  it  highly  necessary  that  parents  should 
prevent  their  children  of  such  unparalleled  calamities  that  are 
to  happen,  and  which  it  may  be  their  lot  to  share  in.  They 
should  be  made  acquainted  with  the  principal  transactions  of 
the  next  age,  as  they  are  recorded  in  the  Apocalypse.  For 
disasters,  when  foreseen,  generally  make  less  impression. 
The  pastors  of  the  Church  will  probably  think  it  expedient 
to  inculcate  the  same  to  their  flocks,  because  those  who  shall 
exist  in  the  next  age,  ought  to  be  prepared  and  fortified  in  a 
peculiar  manner  with  a  lively  faith,  with  the  love  of  God,  and 
an  ardent  desire  of  their  own  salvation.  Since  many  of  them 
may  be  destined,  by  divine  appointment,  to  pass  through  a 
most  severe  trial  in  the  persecution  of  Antichrist,  they  cannot 
be  too  well  grounded  in  the  above-mentioned  principles.  The 
account  we  have  from  St.  John  and  the  prophet  Daniel  of  that 
persecution,  indicates,  it  will  surpass  in  violence  and  cruelty 
all  the  persecutions  of  the  first  age  of  Christianity  :  what  de- 
gree of  fortitude  therefore  must  be  requisite  to  support  the 
faithful  on  so  trying  an  occasion  ?  "  The  Church  now  ad- 
monishes you,"  says  St.  Cyril,  *'and  announces  to  youths 
things  that  relate  to  Antichrist  before  they  come  to  pass. 
Whether  they  will  happen  in  our  time  or  later,  we  know  not : 

♦Printed  1771. 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  357 

bat,  as  you  are  prevented  of  them,  it  is  fit  you  should  prepare 
yourself."      Catech.  15. 

Let  the  history  of  former  persecutions  be  assiduously  read, 
in  order  to  acquire  some  idea  of  them,  with  which  when  the 
mind  is  familiarized,  they  will  appear  less  terrible.  Prepared 
by  these  means,  and  animated  by  the  influx  of  divine  grace, 
the  faithful  servants  of  God  will  hope  to  be  able  to  undergo 
the  same  hardships  and  sufferings,  which  the  primitive  Christ- 
ians sustained,  and  of  which  we  read  in  St.  Paul  the  follow- 
ing description  : — "  Some  were  racked,"  says  he, — "  Others 
had  trials  of  mockeries  and  stripes,  moreover  also  of  bonds 
and  prisons.  They  were  stoned,  they  were  cut  asunder,  they 
were  tempted,  they  were  put  to  death  by  the  sword,  they 
wandered  about  in  sheep-skins,  in  goat-skins,  being  in  want, 
distressed,  afflicted :  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy : 
^\'andering  in  deserts,  in  mountains,  and  in  dens,  and  in  caves 
of  the  earth."  Ep.  to  the  Hebr.  xi.  35,  &c.  Let  especially  a 
diligent  and  repeated  perusal  be  made  of  the  trials  of  the 
martyrs :  that  by  viewing  their  invincible  fortitude  and  con- 
stancy, the  faithful  may  be  inspired  with  the  same  spirit. 
They  will  see  with  what  courage  the  primitive  Christians 
appeared  before  the  tribunals  of  the  pagan  judges,  with  what 
noble  fortitude  they  answered  to  the  questions  put  to  them, 
w^ith  what  unconcern  they  viewed  the  racks  and  other  instru- 
ments prepared  for  their  torture,  with  what  inflexibility  they 
continued  to  profess  their  faith  in  the  midst  of  torments,  and 
with  what  resolution  they  bowed  down  their  heads  under  the 
liand  of  the  executioner.  "We  say  we  are  Christians,"  says 
Tertullian,  "and  proclaim  it  to  the  whole  world;  and  under 
the  hands  of  the  executioner,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  the  tor- 
ments you  inflict  upon  us,  to  compel  us  to  unsay  it.  Torn 
and  mangled,  and  weltering  in  our  blood,  we  cry  out  as  loud 
as  we  are  able  :  that  we  are  worshippers  of  God  through 
Christ."  Apol.  c.  21.  Those  invincible  heroes  of  antiquity, 
who  thus  sealed  their  faith  with  their  blood,  are  the  models 
we  must  set  before  our  eyes,  and  which  we  must  copy  after. 
They  had  always  in  view  that  heavenly  recompense  which 
waited  for  them  after  their  combat,  and  vchich  infinitely  sur- 
})dssed  whatever  they  could  suffer  in  this  world.  They  said 
to  themselves,  "  the  sufferings  of  this  time  are  not  worthy  to 
be  compared  with  the  glory  to  come,  that  shall  be  revealed  in 
us."  Rom.  viii.  18.  They  recollected  vi'hat  our  Saviour  had 
said.  "Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer 
— Be  faithful  unto  death:   and  1  will  give  thee  the  crown 


358  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

of  life."  Apoc.  ii.   10.     And  again:  "Blessed  are  ye  when 
they  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you. — Be  glad  and  re* 
joice,  for  your  reward  is  very  great  in  heaven."  Malt.  v.  11,  12. 
This  heavenly  prospect  animated  their  courage  and  sweeten- 
ed their  torments.      They  had  likewise  before  their  eyes  the 
divine  pattern  of  their  Lord  and  Saviour,  who  had  trodden 
the  same  path  before  them  for  their  encouragement.     And 
w^hat  homage  can  be  more  acceptable  to  him,  than  to  offer 
our  lives  to  him  who  laid  down  his  for  our  sake?     How 
beautiful  a  spectacle  in  the  sight  of  God  is  a  Christian  enter- 
ing the  lists  with  affliction,  and  with  a  noble  constancy  com- 
bating menaces,  racks  and  tortures  !    When  like  a  conqueror 
he  triumphs  over  the  judge  that  condemns  him.     For  he  is 
certainly   victorious  who  obtains  what   he  fights  for.     Min. 
Fel.  in  Octav.     Full  of  such  thoughts  and  sentiments,  and 
inspired  with  interior  joy,  those  champions  congratulated  one 
another  on  the  view  of  their  approaching  triumph,  saying : 
the  persecutor  wrests  from  us  our  lands,  but  heaven  is  open 
to  us  :  the  enemy  of  Christ  threatens,  but  Christ  protects  us. 
They  put  us  to  death,  but  we  are  crowned  with  immortality; 
by  killing  us  they  deprive  us  of  this  world,  but  paradise  is 
offered  us  in  its  stead  :   our  temporal  life  is  extinguished,  but 
is  changed  into  eternal.        Cyprian  de  exhort,   mart.  c.  12. 
Such  ought  to  be  the  reflections  of  those  who  shall  exist  in 
the  next  age.     The  complexion  of  that  period  will  be  similar 
to  that  of  the  first  age  under  the  persecuting  Roman  emperors, 
and  will  exceed  it  in  violence  and  cruelty.   The  consideration 
therefore  of  the  behaviour  of  the  primitive  Christians  is  the 
best  preparation  that  can  be  recommended  to  their  successors 
in  the  last  age.     Let  them  add  to  it  another  reflection,  which 
should  never  be  absent  from  their  mind,  namely,  the  immortal 
glory  and  happiness,   which  Christ  expressly  promises  and 
describes  as  the  portion  of  all  those  who  shall  sacrifice  to  him 
their  lives  in  the  persecution  of  Antichrist.      "  These  are  they 
who  are  come  out  of  the  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed 
their  robes,  and  have  made  them  white   in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.     Therefore  they  are  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
they  serve  him  day  and  night  in   his  temple:  and  he,  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne,  shall  dwell  over  them.      They  shall  no 
more  hunger  or  thirst,  neither  shall  the  sun  fall  on  them  or 
any  heat.  For  the  Lan)b,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
shall  rule  them,  and  shall   lead  them  to  the  fountains  of  the 
waters  of  life,  and  God  shall  wipe  aAvay  all  tears  from  their 
eyes."  Apoc.  vii.  14,  &c. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  859 

Besides  the  reasons  we  have  given  above,  the  necessity  of 
beginning  to  inculcate  the  preceding  lessons  to  the  present 
rising  generation  appears  the  more,  when  we  consider  the 
general  decay  of  religion  which  now  prevails.  So  little  is 
the  practice  of  morality  attended  to,  so  little  even  is  religion 
thought  of,  that  we  see  already  no  small  progress  made  to- 
wards that  apostacy,  as  St.  Paul  calls  it,  or  towards  that 
general  defection  from  faith,  and  that  degeneracy  of  morals, 
which  will  take  place  before  the  great  minister  of  Satan,  An- 
tichrist, appears.  How  swift  indeed  must  be  the  decline  of 
true  faith,  while  free-thinking  grows  at  such  a  pace?  While 
every  one  seems  to  fix  it  as  a  principle,  to  believe  nothing 
more  than  his  reason  comprehends,  or  that  coincides  with 
his  own  private  humour?  What  practice  of  morality  can 
we  expect  from  people,  who  are  immersed  in  wordly  plea- 
sures, or  in  pursuits  of  private  interest,  who  never  spend  a 
moment  of  thought  about  eternity,  nor  scarce  ever  address 
their  God  and  Creator  in  a  short  prayer?  And  is  not  this 
the  general  course  of  life  of  the  present  generation  of  man- 
kind ?  Certainly  then,  due  care  should  be  taken  to  prevent 
as  many  of  the  new  rising  race  as  possible  from  being  infect- 
ed by  this  pestiferous  corruption,  and  to  prepare  them  to  be 
enrolled  in  the  list  of  the  few  elect  of  the  approaching  time. 
When  a  tide  of  irreligion  and  infidelity  has  broken  in,  and  is 
seen  to  swell  every  day,  what  wonder  if  the  period  approach, 
when  God  will  bring  all  to  the  test,  and  try  them  as  metal  in 
a  fiery  furnace,  in  order  to  discriminate  between  the  good  and 
the  bad,  and  to  separate  the  sound  from  the  unsound  grain? 
The  few  that  will  remain  firm  and  stanch  under  all  tempta- 
tions and  persecution,  will  shine  with  great  lustre  in  those 
days,  when  the  bulk  of  mankind  will  suffer  themselves  to  be 
seduced  so  far,  as  to  go  over  to  Antichrist,  adore  him  as  a 
God,  and  renounce  their  Creator,  their  religion,  and  their  ow^n 
conviction.  Notwithstanding  the  great  power  of  Antichrist, 
and  his  faculty  of  performing  surprising  wonders,  the  small 
body  of  the  faithful  will  bear  away  the  palm  of  victor)^,  by 
their  constancy  in  maintaining  the  cause  of  God  at  the  ex- 
pense of  their  lives,  and  by  their  fortitude  in  not  yielding  to 
promises,  threats,  or  torments.  And  thus  the  fruit  of  their 
perseverance  will  be,  to  see  their  victory  completed,  and  the 
cause  of  religion  fully  vindicated,  by  the  just  judgments  of 
God  upon  the  impious,  when  he  will  exterminate  in  the  most 
public  and  terrible  manner  that  satanic  man,  Antichrist,  with 


360  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

his  associates,  and  will  extirpate  idolatry  from   the  earth,  and 
restore  peace  to  his  Church. 

To  these  reflections  we  shall  add  one  remark,  that  of  the 
six  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God,  hitherto  considered,  three, 
namely,  the  first,  third,  and  sixth,  are  poured  out  for  the  pu- 
nishment of  idolaters,  and  the  other  three,  viz.  the  second, 
fourth,  and  fifth,  for  the  punishment  of  heretics. 

VII. 

The  seventh  age  is  the  last  and  longest  of  all.  It  is  the 
age  of  eternity.  We  see  it  ushered  in  by  the  tremendous 
scene  of  the  general  judgment  of  mankind;  of  whom  a  part 
are  admitted  into  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  or  everlasting  bliss, 
and  the  other  or  greater  part  are  doomed  to  suffer  inexpressi- 
ble torments  for  all  eternity  in  the  lake  of  fire  and  brim.stone. 
Whoever  will  take  the  pains  to  meditate  a  little  on  the  great 
disparity  of  these  two  states,  will  certainly  be  moved,  if  he 
has  not  lost  all  sensibility,  to  use  his  utmost  endeavours  to 
gain  the  one  and  prevent  his  falling  into  the  other.  Both  the 
happiness  of  the  saved,  and  the  torments  of  the  damned,  far 
surpass  indeed  our  conception  ;  but  if  they  be  even  consi- 
dered only  in  a  general  view,  who  would  not  shudder  at  the 
thought  of  being  condemned  to  an  eternal  prison,  in  devour- 
ing flames  that  will  never  be  extinguished  1  "  Which  of  you 
can  dwell  with  devouring  fire?  which  of  you  can  dwell  with 
everlasting  burnings?"  Isai.  xxxiii.  14.  And  on  the  other 
hand,  if  we  reflect  on  the  possession  of  God,  the  source  of  all 
delight,  joy,  and  felicity;  with  which  we  shal*!  be  filled  ac- 
cording to  the  whole  capacity  of  our  being,  and  this  without 
even  the  least  interruption  or  allay,  are  we  not  transported 
with  the  most  vehement  desire  of  attaining  such  a  happy 
state?  "They  shall  be  inebriated  with  the  plenty  of  thy 
house;  and  thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  torrent  of  thy 
pleasure."  Psal.  xxxv.  9.  To  this  all-happy  state  let  us  then 
"by  our  good  works  make  our  election  secure."  Let  us  spare 
no  pains  for  it  during  the  short  period  of  our  existence  here. 
The  recompense  will  infinitely  exceed  our  labour,  and  the 
time  of  our  labour  bears  no  proportion  to  eternity. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  361 


CONCLUSION. 

Thus  have  we  seen  the  whole  history  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  traced  from  her  birth  through  her  various  difficulties 
and  trials,  thio'iigh  her  persecutions  from  idolaters,  and  con- 
vulsions by  heresies ;  under  all  which,  she  shone  bright  like 
the  sun  by  the  vigour  of  her  faith  and  fortitude:  nor  was  it 
in  the  power  of  hell  and  earth,  though  combined  together,  to 
crush  her  or  hinder  her  growth.  We  have  had  a  view  of  the 
admirable  economy,  according  to  which  Christ  rules  this  his 
Church;  we  have  seen  the  special  care  with  which  he  pro- 
tects her,  and  with  what  severity  he  punishes  those  who  dare 
injure  her.  By  these  means  he  makes  her  triumph  over  all 
her  enemies,  even  in  this  world;  and  her  victory  will  be 
finally  crowned  with  that  transcendant  and  ineffable  glory  to 
which  she  will  be  raised  at  that  period  when  time  shall  be  no 
more. 

Hence  it  appears,  that  if  to  the  history  of  the  Apocalypse 
we  add  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  there  rises  a  general 
history  of  the  Church,  or  people  of  God,  through  the  whole 
period  of  the  existence  of  mankind.  The  book  of  Genesis 
gives  us  the  creation  of  the  first  man ;  and  his  history,  with 
that  of  the  patriarchs  and  the  Israelites,  is  related  in  that  and 
the  subsequent  books  of  the  old  scripture,  Avith  some  short  in- 
tervals of  interruption,  down  to  the  birth  of  Christianity.  Then 
begins  the  Apocalyptical  account  of  the  Christians,  successors 
to  the  Jews ;  which  carries  on  their  history  to  the  end  of  time, 
and  even  to  their  migration  into  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  where 
it  places  them  in  the  unchangeable  state  of  never-ending  bliss. 

Nothing  further  now  remains  but  to  request,  that  this  pre- 
sent history  may  be  received  by  the  readers  in  that  view  for 
which  it  was  intended,  namely,  for  their  instruction.  They 
are  now  become  sensible,  we  presume,  of  the  utility  of  study- 
ing the  Apocalypse.  And  what  indeed  can  be  more  express 
on  that  head  than  the  declaration  of  Christ  himself,  which  we 
beg  leave  here  to  repeat:  "Blessed  is  he,  that  readeth  and 
heareth  the  words  of  this  prophecy  :  and  keepeth  those  things 
which  are  written  in  it."  Apoc.  i.  3.  And  again:  "Blessed 
is  he  that  keepeth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book." 
Apoc.  xxii.  7.  That  this  advice  may  be  attended  to  is  our 
sincere  wish,  and  here  we  close  the  present  work  with  the 
blessing  delivered  in  the  last  verse  of  this  admirable  prophecy  : 
"  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen." 
oi 


362  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


H^In  the  preceding  explanation,  the  different  parts  of  the  Apocalypse 
having  been  related  in  a  transposed  order,  we  here  subjoin  the  whole  text 
by  itself.  And  at  the  end  of  each  verse  the  page  is  marked  where  that 
verse  is  explained;  except  with  regard  to  the  second  and  third  chapters, 
which  not  appertaining  to  the  general  history  of  the  Church,  have  not 
been  explained. 


THE 

APOCALYPSE    OF    ST.   JOHN, 

THE 

APOSTLE  AND  EVANGELIST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him, 
to  make  known  to  his  servants,  the  things  which  must  shortly- 
come  to  pass ;  and  signified,  sending  by  his  angel,  to  his  ser- 
vant John.      See  p.  15. 

2.  Who  hath  given  testimony  to  the  word  of  God,  and  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  what  things  soever  he  hath  seen. 
p.  15. 

3.  Blessed  is  he,  that  readeth  and  heareth  the  words  of  this 
prophecy ;  and  keepeth  those  things  which  are  written  in  it. 
For  the  time  is  at  hand.  p.  17. 

4.  John  to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia,  Grace 
be  unto  you  and  peace  from  him  that  is,  and  that  was,  and  that 
is  to  come,  and  from  the  seven  spirits  which  are  before  the 
throne,  p.  17. 

5.  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  faithful  witness,  the 
first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth:  who  hath  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood,  p.  18. 

6.  And  hath  made  us  a  kingdom  and  priests  to  God  and 
his  Father :  to  him  be  glory  and  empire  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen.  p.  18. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  363 

7.  Behold,  he  cometh  with  the  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall 
see  him,  and  they  also  that  pierced  him.  And  all  the  tribes 
of  the  earth  shall  bewail  themselves  because  of  him.  Even 
so.     Amen.  f.  19. 

8.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come,  the 
Almighty,  f.  19. 

9.  I  John  your  brother  and  your  partner  in  tribulation,  and 
in  the  kingdom,  and  patience  in  Christ  Jesus,  was  in  the  island, 
which  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  God  and  for  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus,  'p.  20. 

10.  I  was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard  behind 
me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  f.  20. 

11.  Saying:  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book:  and  send 
to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia,  to  Ephesus,  and  to 
Smyrna,  and  to  Pergamus,  and  to  Thyatira,  and  to  Sardis, 
and  to  Philadelphia,  and  to  Laodicea.  'p.  20. 

12.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spoke  with  me :  And 
being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks:  p.  21. 

13.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  one 
like  to  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the 
feet,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle:  p.  2\. 

14.  And  his  head  and  his  hairs  were  white,  like  white  wool, 
and  as  snow,  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire.  ^.21. 

1 5.  And  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  in  a  burning  fur- 
nace: And  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters:  p.  21. 

16.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars.  And  from 
his  mouth  came  out  a  sharp  two-edged  sword :  and  his  face 
was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  power,  p.  21. 

17.  And  when  I  had  seen  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead. 
And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,  saying :  Fear  not :  I  am 
the  first  and  the  last ;  p.  22. 

18.  And  alive,  and  was  dead;  and  behold  I  am  living 
for  ever  and  ever,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  of  hell. 
p.  22. 

19.  Write  therefore  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and 
which  are,  and  which  must  be  done  hereafter,  p.  23. 

20.  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars,  which  thou  sawest  in 
my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks :  The  seven 
stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches:  And  the  seven 
candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches,  p.  25. 


364  THE  APOCALPYSE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write:  These 
things,  saith  he,  who  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand, 
who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 

2.  I  know  thy  works  and  thy  labour,  and  thy  patience,  and 
how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  that  are  evil;  and  thou  hast 
tried  them,  who  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast 
found  them  liars: 

3.  And  thou  hast  patience,  and  hast  endured  for  my  name, 
and  hast  not  fainted. 

4.  But  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left 
thy  first  charity. 

5.  Be  mindful  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen :  and 
do  penance,  and  do  the  first  works.  Or  else  I  come  to  thee, 
and  will  move  thy  candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  do 
penance. 

6.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the  Ni- 
colaites,  which  I  also  hate. 

7.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches:  To  him,  that  overcometh,  I  will  give  to  eat 
of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  paradise  of  my  God. 

8.'  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Smyrna  write  :  These 
things  saith  the  First  and  the  Last,  who  was  dead,  and  is 
alive : 

9.  I  know  thy  tribulation  and  thy  poverty,  but  thou  art 
rich  :  and  thou  art  blasphemed  by  them  that  say  they  are 
Jews  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan. 

10.  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer. 
Behold,  the  devil  \y\\\  cast  some  of  you  into  prison  that  you 
may  be  tried :  and  you  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days.  Be 
thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  crown  of  life. 

1 1.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches  :  he  that  shall  overcome,  shall  not  be  hurt  by 
the  second  death. 

12.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Pergamus  write: 
These  things  saith  he,  that  hath  the  sharp  two-edged  sw^ord : 

13.  I  know  where  thou  dwelkst,  where  the  seat  of  Satan 
is:  and  thou  boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my 
faith.  Even  in  those  days  ivhe7i  Antipas  icas  my  faithful  wit- 
ness, who  was  slain  among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth. 

14.  But  I  have  against  thee  a  few  things:  because  thou 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  365 

hast  there,  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught 
Balac  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  eat,  and  commit  fornication : 

15.  So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
Nicolaites. 

16.  In  like  manner  do  penance :  or  else  I  will  come  to  thee 
quickly,  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword  of  my 
mouth. 

1 7.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches ;  To  him,  that  overcometh,  I  will  give  the 
hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  counter,  and  in  the 
counter,  a  new  name  written,  w^hich  no  man  knoweth,  but  he 
that  receiveth  it. 

18.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Thyatira,  write: 
These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes  like  to 
a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  like  to  fine  brass. 

19.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  faith,  and  thy  charity,  and 
thy  ministry,  and  thy  patience,  and  thy  last  works  which  are 
more  than  the  former. 

20.  But  I  have  against  thee  a  few  things:  because  thou 
sufferest  the  w^oman  Jezabel,  who  calleth  herself  a  prophetess, 
to  teach,  and  to  seduce  my  servants,  to  commit  fornication,  and 
to  eat  of  things  sacrificed  to  idols. 

21.  And  I  gave  her  a  time  that  she  might  do  penance,  and 
she  will  not  repent  of  her  fornication. 

22.  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed:  and  they,  that  com- 
mit adultery  with  her,  shall  be  in  very  great  tribulation,  ex- 
cept they  do  penance  for  their  deeds : 

23.  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death,  and  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he,  that  searcheth  the  reins 
and  hearts;  and  will  give  to  every  one  of  you  according  to 
your  works.     But  to  you  I  say, 

24.  And  to  the  rest  who  are  at  Thyatira :  Whosoever  have 
not  this  doctrine,  and  who  have  not  known  the  depths  of 
Satan,  as  they  say,  I  w^ill  not  put  upon  you  any  other  burden. 

25.  Yet  that,  which  you  have,  hold  fast  till  I  come. 

26.  And  he,  that  shall  overcome  and  keep  my  works  unto 
the  end,  I  will  give  him  power  over  the  nations. 

27.  And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  as  the 
vessel  of  a  potter  they  shall  be  broken. 

28.  As  I  also  have  received  of  my  Father :  and  I  will  give 
him  the  morning  star. 

29.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches. 

31* 


366  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


CHAPTER  111. 


And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Sardis  write :  These 
things  saith  he,  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and  the 
seven  stars :  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  the  name  of 
being  alive:  and  thou  arf  dead. 

2.  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  that  rernain, 
which  are  ready  to  die.  For  1  find  not  thy  works  full  before 
my  God. 

3.  Have  in  mind  therefore  in  what  manner  thou  hast  re- 
ceived and  heard :  and  observe,  and  do  penance.  If  then  thou 
shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  to  thee  as  a  thief;  and  thou  shalt 
not  know  at  what  hour  1  will  come  to  thee. 

4.  But  thou  hast  a  few  names  in  Sardis,  which  have  not 
defiled  their  garments  :  and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white, 
because  they  are  worthy. 

5.  He,  that  shall  overcome,  shall  thus  be  clothed  in  white 
garments,  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of 
life,  and  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  before 
his  angels. 

6.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches. 

7.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia  write: 
These  things  saith  the  Holy  one  and  the  True  one,  he  that 
hath  the  key  of  David  ;  he  that  openeth,  and  no  man  shutteth ; 
shutteth,  and  no  man  openeth. 

8.  1  know  thy  works.  Behold,  I  have  given  before  thee 
a  door  opened  which  no  man  can  shut:  because  thou  hast  a 
little  strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied 
my  name. 

9.  Behold,  I  will  bring  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan, 
who  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do  lie :  Behold,  I 
will  make  them  to  come  and  adore  before  thy  feet :  and  they 
shall  know  that  1  have  loved  thee. 

10.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience,  I 
will  also  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,  which  shall 
come  upon  the  whole  world  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth. 

11.  Behold,  I  come  quickly:  hold  fast  that  which  thou 
hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown. 

12.  He,  that  shall  overcome,  I  will  make  him  a  pillar  in 
the  temple  of  my  God :  and  he  shall  go  out  no  more :  and  I 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  367 

will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of 
the  city  of  my  God,  the  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down 
out  of  heaven  from  my  God,  and  my  new  name. 

13.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches. 

14.  And  to  the  ang-el  of  the  church  of  Laodicea  write: 
These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness, 
who  is  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God. 

15.  I  know  thy  w^orks,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot: 
I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot. 

16.  But  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor 
hot,  I  will  begin  to  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth. 

17.  Because  thou  sayest:  I  am  rich,  and  made  wealthy, 
and  have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest  not,  that  thou  art 
wretched  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked. 

18.  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  my  gold  fire-tried,  that  thou 
mayest  be  made  rich :  and  mayest  be  clothed  in  white  gar- 
ments, and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  may  not  appear : 
and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye  salve,  that  thou  mayest  see. 

19.  Such  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chastise.  Be  zealous 
therefore,  and  do  penance. 

20.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  gate,  and  knock.  If  any  man 
shall  hear  my  voice,  and  open  to  me  the  door,  I  will  come  in 
to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me. 

21.  To  him  that  shall  overcome,  I  will  give  to  sit  with  me 
in  my  throne :  as  I  also  have  overcome,  and  am  set  down 
with  my  Father  in  his  throne. 

22.  He,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  churches. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

After  these  things  I  looked,  and  behold  a  door  was  open- 
ed in  heaven,  and  the  first  voice  which  I  heard,  as  it  were  of 
a  trumpet  speaking  with  me,  said  :  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will 
show  thee  the  things  which  must  be  done  hereafter,  p.  23. 

2.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  spirit ;  and  behold  there 
was  a  throne  set  in  heaven,  and  upon  the  throne  one  sitting. 
f.  24. 

3.  And  he  that  sat  was  to  the  sight  like  the  jasper  and 
the  sardine-stone ;  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the 
throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald,  p.  24. 


368  THE  APOCALYPSE.  "^ 

4.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats ; 
and  upon  the  seats,  four  and  twenty  ancients  sitting,  clothed  in 
white  garments,  and  on  their  heads  were  crowns  of  gold. 
p.  24. 

5.  And  from  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  voices, 
and  thunders ;  and  there  were  seven  lamps  burning  before 
the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God.  jp.  24. 

6.  And  in  the  sight  of  the  throne  was  as  it  were  a  sea  of 
glass  like  to  chrystal ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
round  about  the  throne  were  four  living  creatures  full  of  eyes 
before  and  behind,  p.  25. 

7.  And  the  first  living  creature  was  like  a  lion ;  and  the 
second  living  creature  like  a  calf;  and  the  third  living  crea- 
ture, having  the  face  as  it  were  of  a  man :  and  the  fourth  living 
creature  Avas  like  an  eagle  flying,  p.  25. 

8.  And  the  four  living  creatures,  had  each  of  them  six 
wings:  and  round  about  and  within  they  are  full  of  eyes.  p. 
25.  And  they  rested  not  day  and  night,  saying.  Holy,  Holy, 
Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is 
to  come.  J).  26. 

9.  And  when  those  living  creatures  gave  glory  and  honour 
and  benediction  to  him,  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  who  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  p.  26. 

10.  The  four  and  twenty  ancients  fell  down  before  him  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  adored  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and 
ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying:  p.  26. 

11.  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord  our  God,  to  receive  glory 
and  honour  and  power :  because  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  for  thy  will  they  were,  and  have  been  created,  p.  26. 


CHAPTER  V. 

And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne, 
a  book  written  within  and  without,  sealed  with  seven  seals. 
p.  26.  • 

2.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel,  proclaiming  with  a  loud 
voice:  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the 
seals  thereof?  p.  27. 

3.  And  no  man  was  able,  neither  in  heaven,  nor  on  earth, 
nor  under  the  earth,  to  open  the  book,  nor  to  look  on  it.  p.  27. 

4.  And  I  wept  much,  because  no  man  was  found  worthy 
to  open  the  book,  nor  to  see  it.  p.  27. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  369 

5.  And  one  of  the  ancients  said  to  me :  Weep  not ;  behold 
the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  root  of  David,  hath  prevailed 
to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof  p.  27. 

6.  And  I  saw:  and  behold  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
of  the  four  living  creatures,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  ancients, 
a  Lamb  standing  as  it  were  slain,  having  seven  horns  and 
seven  eyes ;  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  sent  forth 
into  all  the  earth,  p.  28. 

7.  And  he  came,  and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right  hand 
of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  p.  28. 

8.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  book,  the  four  living  crea- 
tures, and  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  fell  down  before  the 
Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full 
of  odours,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints,  p.  28. 

9.  And  they  sung  a  new  canticle,  saying :  Thou  art  wor- 
thy, O  Lor(i,  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof: 
because  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God,  in  thy 
blood,  out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation, 
p.  28. 

10.  And  hast  made  us  to  our  God  a  kingdom  and  priests, 
and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  p.  28. 

1 1.  And  I  beheld  and  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round 
about  the  throne,  and  the  living  creatures  and  the  ancients : 
and  the  number  of  them  was  thousands  of  thousands,  p.  29. 

12.  Saying,  Avith  a  loud  voice:  The  Lamb,  that  was  slain, 
is  worthy  to  receive  power,  and  divinity,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  benediction,  p.  29. 

13.  And  every  creature,  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the 
earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and 
all  that  are  in  them :  I  heard  all  saying :  To  him  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,  benediction  and  honour,  and 
glory  and  power,  for  ever  and  ever.  p.  30. 

14.  And  the  four  living  creatures  said,  Amen.  And  the 
four  and  twenty  ancients  fell  down  on  their  faces,  and  adored 
him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  p.  30. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

And  I  saw,  that  the  Lamb  had  opened  one  of  the  seven 
seals,  and  I  heard  one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  as  it  were 
the  voice  of  thunder,  saying,  Come  and  see.  ^.31. 

2.  And  I  saw :  and  behold  a  white  horse,  and  he  that  sat 


370  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

on  him  had  a  how,  and  there  was  a  crown  given  him,  and  he 
went  forth  conquering  that  he  might  conquer,  p.  31. 

3.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the 
second  living  creature,  saying:  Come  and  see.  p.  72. 

4.  And  there  went  out  another  horse,  that  was  red  :  and  to 
him  that  sat  thereon,  it  was  given  that  he  should  take  peace 
from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another,  and  a 
great  sword  was  given  him.  p.  75. 

5.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard  the 
third  living  creature,  saying:  Come  and  see.  And  behold  a 
black  horse,  and  he  that  sat  on  him,  had  a  pair  of  scales  in 
his  hand.  p.  86. 

6.  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  in  the  midst  of  the 
four  living  creatures,  saying:  Two  pounds  of  wheat  for  a 
penny,  and  thrice  two  pounds  of  barley  for  a  penny,  and  see 
thou  hurt  not  the  wine  and  the  oil.  p.  86. 

7.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the 
voice  of  the  fourth  living  creature,  saying :  Come  and  see. 
p.  116. 

8.  And  behold  a  pale  horse:  and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  his 
name  was  Death,  and  hell  followed  him.  And  power  was 
given  him  over  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  to  kill  with  sword, 
with  famine,  and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth. 
p.  116. 

9.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the 
souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the 
testimony  which  they  held.  p.  135. 

10.  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying:  How  long, 
O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  revenge  our 
blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?  p.  135. 

11.  And  white  robes  were  given  to  every  one  of  them  one; 
and  it  was  said  to  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little 
time,  till  their  fellow-servants,  and  their  brethren,  who  are  to 
be  slain,  even  as  they,  should  be  filled  up.  p.  135. 

12.  And  I  saw,  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal:  and 
behold  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair ;  and  the  whole  moon  became  as 
blood:  p.  187. 

13.  And  the  stars  from  heaven  fell  on  the  earth,  as  the  fig 
tree  casteth  its  green  figs  when  it  is  shaken  by  a  great  wind 
p.  187. 

14.  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  book  folded  up:  and 
every  mountain,  and  the  islands  were  moved  out  of  their 
places,  p.  187. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  371 

15.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  princes,  and  the 
tribunes,  and  the  rich,  and  the  strong,  and  every  bondman, 
and  every  free-man,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the 
rocks  of  mountains:  p.  187. 

16.  And  they  say  to  the  mountains  and  the  rocks:  Fall 
upon  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb:  y.  187. 

17.  For  the  great  day  of  their  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shall 
be  able  to  stand?  j).  188. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

After  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth, 
that  they  should  not  blow  upon  the  earth,  nor  upon  the  sea, 
nor  on  any  tree.  p.  252. 

2.  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  rising  of 
the  sun,  having  the  sign  of  the  living  God ;  and  he  cried 
with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to 
hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea.  p.  252. 

3.  Saying:  Hurt  not  the  earth,  nor  the  sea,  nor  the  trees, 
till  we  sign  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads,  p.  252. 

4.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  that  were  signed,  a 
hundred  forty-four  thousand  were  signed  of  every  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  p.  252. 

5.  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  were  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Ruben,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Gad,  twelve  thousand  signed,  p.  253. 

6.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Nepthalia,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Manassee,  twelve  thousand  signed,  p.  253. 

7.  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Levi,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe  of  Issa- 
char,  twelve  thousand  signed.  ])■  253. 

8.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon,  twelve  thousand  signed..  Of 
the  tribe  of  Joseph,  twelve  thousand  signed.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  twelve  thousand  signed,  p.  253. 

9.  After  this  I  saw  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could 
number,  of  all  nations,  and  tribes,  and  peoples,  and  tongues ; 
standing  before  the  throne,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  Lamb, 
clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands:  p.  278. 

10.  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying:  Salvation 


372  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

to  our  God  who  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb.  p. 
278. 

11.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
the  ancients,  and  the  four  living  creatures ;  and  they  fell  down 
before  the  throne  upon  their  faces,  and  adored  God,  p.  279. 

12.  Saying,  Amen,  Benediction,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,  honour,  power,  and  strength  to  our  God 
for  ever  and  ever.     Amen.  p.  279. 

13.  And  one  of  the  ancients  answered,  and  said  to  me: 
These  that  are  clothed  in  white  robes,  who  are  they?  and 
whence  came  they?  p.  279. 

14.  And  I  said  to  him  :  My  Lord,  thou  knowest.  And  he 
said  to  me :  These  are  they  who  are  come  out  of  great  tribu- 
lation, and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  have  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  p.  279. 

15.  Therefore  they  are  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  they 
serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple :  and  he  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne,  shall  dwell  over  them.  p.  279. 

16.  They  shall  no  more  hunger  and  thirst,  neither  shall 
the  sun  fall  on  them,  nor  any  heat.  p.  280. 

17.  For  the  Lamb,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
shall  rule  them,  and  shall  lead  them  to  the  fountains  of  the 
waters  of  life,  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes.  p.  280. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence 
in  Heaven,  as  it  were  for  half  an  hour.  p.  311. 

2.  And  I  saw  seven  angels  standing  in  the  presence  of  God  : 
and  there  were  given  to  them  seven  trumpets,  p.  34. 

3.  And  another  angel  came,  and  stood  before  the  altar, 
having  a  golden  censer:  and  there  was  given  to  him  much 
incense,  that  he  should  offer  of  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon 
the  golden  altar,  which  is  before  the  throne  of  God.  p.  35. 

4.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense  of  the  prayers  of  the 
saints  ascended  up  before  God,  from  the  hand  of  the  angel. 
p.  35. 

5.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  the  fire 
of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  on  the  earth,  and  there  were  thun- 
ders and  voices  and  lightnings,  and  a  great  earthquake, 
p.  35. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  373 

6.  And  the  seven  angels,  who  had  the  seven  trumpets,  pre- 
pared themselves  to  sound  the  trumpet,  p.  36. 

7.  And  the  first  angel  sounded  the  trumpet,  and  there  fol- 
lowed hail  and  fire,  mingled  with  blood,  and  it  was  cast  on 
the  earth,  and  the  third  part  of  the  earth  was  burnt  up,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass 
was  burnt  up.  p.  36. 

8.  And  the  second  angel  sounded  the  trumpet :  and  as  it 
were  a  great  mountain  burning  with  fire,  was  cast  into  the 
sea,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood:  p.  74. 

9.  And  the  third  part  of  those  creatures  died,  which  had  life 
in  the  sea,  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  was  destroyed,  p.  74. 

10.  And  the  third  angel  sounded  the  trumpet:  and  a  great 
star  fell  from  heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  torch,  and  it  fell 
on  the  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  wa- 
ters :  p.  86. 

11.  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  wormwood.  And 
the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood :  and  many- 
men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter,  p.  87. 

12.  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded  the  trumpet:  and  the 
third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten :  and  the  third  part  of  the 
moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the  stars,  so  that  the  third  part  of 
them  was  darkened,  and  the  day  did  not  shine  for  a  third  part 
of  it,  and  the  night  in  like  manner,  p.  125. 

13.  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  the  voice  of  one  eagle  flymg 
through  the  midst  of  heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice :  Wo, 
wo,  wo  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth:  by  reason  of  the  rest 
of  the  voices  of  the  three  angels  who  are  yet  to  sound  the 
trumpet,  p.  140. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

And  the  fifth  angel  sounded  the  trumpet:  and  I  saw  a  star 
fall  from  heaven  unto  the  earth,  and  there  was  given  to  him 
the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit.  p.  142. 

2.  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit:  and  the  smo.ke  of  the 
pit  arose  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace:  p.  143,  and  the  sun 
and  the  air  were  darkened  with  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  p.  144. 

3.  And  from  the  smoke  of  the  pit  there  came  out  locusts 
upon  the  earth,  p.  147.  And  power  was  given  to  them,  as 
the  scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power:  p.  150. 

4.  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they  should  not  hurt 

32 


374  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

the  grass  of  the  earth,  nor  any  green  thing,  nor  any  tree :  but 
only  the  men  who  have  not  the  sign  of  God  on  their  fore- 
heads. J).  150. 

5.  And  it  was  given  unto  them  that  they  should  not  kill 
them ;  but  that  they  should  torment  them  five  months :  and 
their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion  when  he  striketh 
a  man.  p.  152. 

6.  And  in  those  days  men  shall  seek  death,  and  shall  not 
find  it :  and  they  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  fly  from 
them.  p.  154. 

7.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses  pre- 
pared for  battle:  p.  156,  and  on  their  heads  were  as  it  were 
crowns  like  gold :  p.  165,  and  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of 
men.  p.  166. 

8.  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women :  p.  168,  and 
their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions,  p.  169. 

9.  And  they  had  breast-plates  as  breast-plates  of  iron :  p.  170. 
And  the  noise  of  their  wings  was  as  the  noise  of  chariots  of 
many  horses  running  to  battle,  p.  171. 

10.  And  they  had  tails  like  to  scorpions,  and  there  were 
stings  in  their  tails :  and  their  powder  was  to  hurt  men  five 
months,  p.  172.     And  they  had  over  them 

11.  A  king,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit:  whose  name 
in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and  in  Greek  Apollyon,  in  Latin  Ex- 
terminans,  (that  is,  destroyer.)  p.  172. 

12.  One  wo  is  past,  p.  182,  and  behold  there  come  yet  two 
woes  more  hereafter,  p.  226. 

13.  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded  the  trumpet,  and  I  heard 
a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar,  which  is  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  God.  p.  226. 

14.  Sa3nng  to  the  sixth  angel,  who  had  the  trumpet :  Loose 
the  four  angels,  who  are  bound  in  the  great  river  Euphrates. 
p.  226. 

15.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  who  were  prepared 
for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year :  for  to  kill 
the  third  part  of  men.  p.  226. 

16.  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  horsemen  was  twenty 
thousand  times  ten  thousand.  And  I  heard  the  number  of 
them.  p.  226. 

17.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision  :  and  they, 
that  sat  on  them,  had  breast-places  of  fire  and  of  hyacinth 
and  of  brimstone,  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the 
heads  of  lions ;  and  from  their  mouths  proceeded  fire,  and 
smoke  and  brimstone,  p.  226. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  375 

18.  And  by  these  three  plagues  were  slain  the  third  part 
of  men,  by  the  fire  and  by  the  smoke  and  by  the  brimstone, 
which  issued  out  of  their  mouths,  p.  226. 

19.  For  the  power  of  the  horses  is  in  their  mouths,  and  in 
their  tails.  For,  their  tarls  are  like  to  serpents,  and  have 
heads :  and  with  them  they  hurt.  p.  227. 

20.  And  the  rest  of  the  men,  who  were  not  slain  by  these 
plagues,  did  not  do  penance  for  the  works  of  their  hands  that 
they  should  not  adore  devils  and  idols  of  gold  and  silver  and 
brass  and  stone  and  wood,  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear, 
nor  walk :  p.  217. 

21.  Neither  did  they  penance  from  their  murders,  nor 
from  their  sorceries,  nor  from  their  fornication,  nor  from  their 
thefts,  p.  277. 


CHAPTER  X. 

And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come  down  from  heaven, 
clothed  with  a  cloud,  and  a  rainbow  was  on  his  head,  and  his 
face  was  as  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire.  p.  222. 

2.  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open :  and  he  set 
his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the  earth,  p.  223. 

3.  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  as  vv^hen  a  lion  roareth. 
And  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices, 
p.  223. 

4.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices, 
I  was  about  to  write:  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  say- 
ing to  me :  Seal  up  the  things  which  the  seven  thunders  have 
spoken,  and  wTite  them  not.  p.  223. 

5.  And  the  angel  whom  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and 
upon  the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  p.  224. 

6.  And  he  swore  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who 
created  heaven,  and  the  things  which  are  therein :  and  the 
earth,  and  the  things  which  are  in  it:  and  the  sea,  and  the 
things  which  are  therein;  tbit  there  should  be  time  no 
longer:  p.  224. 

7.  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when 
he  shall  begin  to  sound  the  trumpet,  the  mystery  of  God  should 
be  finished,  as  he  hath  declared  by  his  servants  the  prophets. 
p.  224. 

8.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  again  speaking  to  me, 
saying:  Go  and  take  the  book,  that  is  open,  from  the  hand 


376  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

of  the  angel  who  standeth  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth. 

f.  224. 

9.  And  I  went  to  the  angel,  saying  unto  him,  that  he  should 
give  me  the  book.  And  he  said  to  me:  Take  the  book  and 
eat  it  up:  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  in  thy  mouth 
it  shall  be  sweet  as  honey,  p.  225. 

10.  And  I  took  the  book  from  the  hand  of  the  angel,  and 
eat  it  up :  and  it  was  in  my  mouth,  sweet  as  honey  :  and  when 
I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter,  p.  225. 

1 1.  And  he  said  to  me,  thou  must  prophesy  again  to  many 
nations,  and  peoples,  and  tongues,  and  kings,  p.  225. 


CHAPTER  XL 

And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod :  and  it  was 
said  to  me :  Arise  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the 
altar,  and  them  that  adore  therein,  p.  253. 

2.  But  the  court,  which  is  without  the  temple,  cast  out,  and 
measure  it  not:  because  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
holy  city  they  shall  tread  under  foot  two  and  forty  months: 
p.  254. 

3.  And  I  will  give  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall 
prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  sixty  days,  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth, p.  216. 

4.  These  are  the  two  olive-trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks 
that  stand  before  the  Lord  of  the  earth,  p.  216. 

5.  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  fire  shall  come  out  of 
their  mouths,  and  shall  devour  their  enemies.  And  if  any 
man  will  hurt  them,  in  this  manner  must  he  be  slain.  ^'^  216. 

6.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy :  and  they  have  power  over  waters  to 
turn  them  into  blood,  and  to  strike  the  earth  with  all  plagues 
as  often  as  they  will.  p.  216. 

7.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the 
beast,  that  ascendeth,  out  of  the  abyss,  shall  make  war  against 
them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them.  p.  274. 

8.  And  their  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  streets  of  the  great  city 
which  is  called  spiritually  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  their 
Lord  also  was  crucified,  p.  274. 

9.  And  they  of  the  tribes,  and  peoples,  and  tongues,  and 
nations,  shall  see  their  bodies  for  three  days  and  a  half:  and 
they  shall  not  suffer  their  bodies  to  be  laid  in  sepulchres,  p.  '21 L 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  377 

10.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over 
them,  and  make  merry :  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another, 
because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwelt  upon 
the  earth,  p.  274. 

1 1.  And  after  three  days  and  a  half,  the  spirit  of  life  from 
God  entered  into  them.  And  they  stood  upon  their  feet,  and 
great  fear  fell  upon  them  that  saw  them.  p.  275. 

12.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying  to 
them :  Come  up  hither.  And  they  went  up  to  heaven  in  a 
cloud  ;  and  their  enemies  saw  them.  p.  275. 

13.  And  at  that  hour  there  was  made  a  great  earthquake, 
and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell;  and  there  were  slain  in 
the  earthquake  names  of  men  seven  thousand :  and  the  rest 
were  cast  into  a  fear,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven. 
J).  275. 

1 4.  The  second  wo  is  past :  and  behold  the  third  wo  will 
come  quickly,  j).  278. 

15.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded  the  trumpet :  and  there 
were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying:  The  kingdom  of  this 
world  is  become  our  Lord's  and  his  Christ's,  and  he  shall 
reign  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen.  p.  311. 

16.  And  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  who  sit  on  their 
seats  in  the  sight  of  God,  fell  on  their  faces  and  adored  God. 
J,.  311. 

17.  Saying :  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty, 
who  art,  and  who  wast,  and  who  art  to  come :  because  thou  hast 
taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  thou  hast  reigned.  ]j.  311. 

18.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come, 
and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be  judged,  and  that 
thou  shouldst  render  reward  to  thy  servants  the  prophets  and 
the  saints,  and  to  them  that  fear  thy  name,  little  and  great,  and 
shouldst  destroy  them  who  have  corrupted  the  earth,  p.  311. 

19.  And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven:  and 
the  ark  of  his  testament  was  seen  in  his  temple,  and  there 
were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great 
hail.  ^.311. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

And  a  great  sign  appeared  in  heaven :  a  woman  clothed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  on  her  head 
a  crown  of  twelve  stars :  jp.  59. 
32* 


rJ^ 


378  THE  APOCALYPSE, 

2.  And  being  with  child,  she  cried  travailing  in  birth,  and 
was  in  pain  to  be  delivered,  'p.  59. 

3.  And  there  was  seen  another  sign  in  heaven,  and  behold 
a  great  red  dragon  having  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns:  and 
on  his  heads  seven  diadems :  p.  59. 

4.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  cast  them  to  the  earth:  and  the  dragon  stood  before  the 
woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered  ;  that,  when  she  should 
be  delivered,  he  might  devour  her  son.  p.  59. 

5.  And  she  brought  forth  a  man-child,  who  was  to  rule  all 
nations  with  an  iron-rod :  and  her  son  was  taken  up  to  God, 
and  to  his  throne,  p.  60. 

6.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  had 
a  place  prepared  by  God,  that  there  they  should  feed  her  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days.  ^.61. 

7.  And  there  was  a  great  battle  in  heaven,  Michael  and  his 
angels  fought  with  the  dragon,  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his 
angels :  p.  62. 

8.  And  they  prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place  found 
any  more  in  heaven,  p.  62. 

9.  And  that  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent, 
who  is  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  who  seduceth  the  whole 
world :  and  he  was  cast  unto  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were 
thrown  down  with  him.  p.  62. 

10.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  in  heaven,  saying:  Now  is 
come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God, 
and  the  power  of  his  Christ:  because  the  accuser  of  our 
brethren  is  cast  forth,  who  accused  them  before  our  God  day 
and  night,  p.  63. 

11.  And  they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony,  and  they  loved  not  their 
lives  unto  death,  p.  63. 

12.  Therefore  rejoice,  O  heavens,  and  you  that  dwell 
therein.  Wo  to  the  earth,  and  to  the  sea,  because  the  devil  is 
come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  knowing  that  he 
hath  but  a  short  time.  p.  63. 

13.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman,  who  brought  forth  the  man- 
child:  p.  64. 

14.  And  there  were  given  to  the  woman  two  wings  of  a 
great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  desert  unto  her  place, 
where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time, 
from  the  face  of  the  serpent,  p.  64. 

15.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  after  the  woman, 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  379 

water  as  it  were  a  river;  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  car- 
ried away  by  the  river,  p.  64. 

16  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman,  and  the  earth  opened 
her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  river,  which  the  dragon  cast 
out  of  his  mouth,  p.  65.  , 

17  And  the  dragon  was  angry  agamst  the  woman:  and 
went  to  make  war  with  the  rest  of  her  seed,  who  keep  the 
commandments   of  God,   and  have  the  testnnony  of  Jesus 

Christ  ^.66.  ,     ^   ,  co 

18.  And  he  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea.  p.  b«. 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

And  I  saw  a  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  diadems,  and 
upon  his  heads  names  of  blasphemy,  p.  232. 

2  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  to  a  leopard,  and 
his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth,  as  the  mouth 
of  a  lion.     And  the  dragon  gave  him  his  own  strength  and 

ffreat  power,  p.  232.  ,   .    .    j     ^i, 

3  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  slam  to  death : 
p.  233,  and  his  death's  wound  was  healed.  And  all  the  earth 
was  in  admiration  after  the  beast,  p.  236. 

4  And  they  adored  the  dragon,  which  gave  power  to  the 
b-asf  and  they  adored  the  beast,  saying:  Who  is  like  to  the 
beast?    And  who  shall  be  able  to  fight  with  him?  p.  237. 

5  And  there  was  given  to  him  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things,  and  blasphemies :  and  power  was  given  him  to  do 
two  and  forty  months,  p.  244.  _  •     ,  r^  j 

6  And  he  opened  his  mouth  unto  blasphemies  against  LfOd 
to  biaspheme  his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  andthem  that  dwell 

in  heaven,  p.  244. 

7  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints, 
and'to  overcome  them.  And  power  was  given  him  over  every 
tribe,  and  people,  and  tongue,  and  nation,  p.  246.     _ 

8  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  adored  him,  whose 
names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb,  which 
was  slain  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  p.  246. 

9  If  any  man  have  an  ear  let  him  hear.  ^.251. 

10  He  that  shall  lead  into  captivity,  shall  go  into  captivity : 
he  that  shall  kill  by  the  sword,  must  be  killed  by  the  sword. 
Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints.  ^.251. 


^^  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


1 1.  And  I  saw  another  beast  cominff  up  ont  of  the  earth 
and  he  had  two  horns,  like  a  lamb,  and  L  s^e  1  Xtst. 

JUS  sight,  and  he  caused  the  earth,  and  them  thai  dwell  there- 
p  247       '  ^"  ^'''  ^'^''  ""^"'^  ^"""-^  ">  ^'-'^  was  healed. 

cnit^t""^  f^  '"u  ^"'^'  ^'S'""-  '°  ">^'  he  made  also  fire  to 
come-down  from  heaven  unto  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men 

14.  And  he  seduced  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  for  the 
signs,  which  were  given  to  him  to  do  in  the  sight  ofThe  beast 
saymg  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  hoild  mS 
fnVS^^'48.'"""'''^'^  '^^-^  .he  wound  Vthe  swot 

15.  And  it  was  given  him  to  give  life  to  the  image  of  the 
beast   and  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  spefk     and 

16  And  he  shall  make  all,  both  little  and  great  rich  and 
poor  freemen  and  bondmen,  to  have  a  character  in  thekr^^^^^^ 
hand,  or  on  their  foreheads,  p.  248.  ^ 

fh}l'l.  "^""f  ^^^^  "i!"  "'^'^  "^'^^^  ^"^y  ^^  se".  t^t  he  that  hath 
name   r249.  "        ''"'  "'  ^^'  ^^^^^'  ''  '^'  ""^^^  ^^^^ 
18    Here  is  wisdom.    He  that  hath  understanding-  let  him 
count  the  number  of  the  beast.    For  it  is  the  number  ?f  a  man 
and  the  number  of  him  is  six  hundred  sixty-six.  p.  249. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


And  I  beheld  and  lo  a  Lamb  stood  upon  Mount  Sion  and 
with  him  a  hundred  forty-four  thousand  having  hTs  name'  and 

'^"TV/^'  ?''^'''  ^'^^"^"  «"  '^'^'  foreheads.  ;,^56 

2.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  as  the  noise  of  manv 
waters  and  as  the  voice  of  great  thunder :  and  the  voice  wh'c  J 
i.  256     '"'  ''        "'"'  '^  ^^'P^^^  ^^^P^"^  «"  ^heir'  harps 

3.  And  they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  canticle  before  tho 
hrone,  and  before  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  ancTents 

?o"ur  thn^'r^V^  '^^  '^'  ^^"^^^^^'  ^^'  ^^-^  hundred  forty: 
four  thousand,  who  were  purchased  from  the  earth.  ;,  256 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  381 

4.  These  are  they  who  were  not  defiled  with  women  :  For 
they  are  virgins.  These  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
goeth.  These  were  purchased  from  among  men,  the  first 
fruits  to  God  and  to  the  Lamb :  p.  257. 

5.  And  in  their  mouth  there  was  found  no  lie :  For  they 
are  without  spot  before  the  throne  of  God.  p.  258. 

6.  And  I  saw  another  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of 
heaven,  having  the  eternal  gospel,  to  preach  unto  them  that 
sit  upon  the  earth,  and  over  every  nation,  and  tribe,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  p.  '^41. 

7.  Saying  with  a  loud  voice  :  Fear  the  Lord,  and  give  him 
honour,  because  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come  :  and  adore 
ye  him,  that  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  the  fountains 
of  waters,  p.  242. 

8.  And  another  angel  followed,  saying :  That  great  Baby- 
Ion  is  fallen,  is  fallen:  which  made  all  nations  to  drink  of  the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication,  p.  292. 

9.  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud 
voice:  If  any  man  shall  adore  the  beast  and  his  image, 
and  receive  his  character  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand; 
p.  296. 

10.  He  also  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God, 
which  is  mingled  with  pure  wine  in  the  cup  of  his  wrath,  and 
shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  sight  of  the 
holy  angels  and  in  the  sight  of  the  Lamb.  p.  296. 

11.  And  the  smoke  of  their  torments  shall  ascend  up  for 
ever  and  ever :  neither  have  they  rest  day  nor  night,  who 
have  adored  the  beast,  and  his  image,  and  whosoever  receiveth 
the  character  of  his  name.  p.  296. 

12.  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints,  who  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  p.  297. 

1 3.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  to  me  :  Write, 
Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.  From  henceforth 
now,  saith  the  spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labours : 
for  their  works  follow  them.  p.  307. 

14.  And  I  saw:  and  behold  a  white  cloud:  and  upon  the 
cloud  one  sitting  like  to  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his  head 
a  crown  of  gold,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle,  p.  321. 

15.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  temple,  crying 
with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  upon  the  cloud  :  Thrust  in 
thy  sickle  and  reap,  because  the  hour  is  come  to  reap,  for  the 
harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe.   p.  321. 

16.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  thrust  his  sickle  into  the 
earth,  and  the  earth  was  reaped,  p.  321. 


882  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

17.  Ana  another  angei  came  out  of  the  temple  which  is  in 
heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle,  p.  321. 

18.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  who  had 
power  over  fire:  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that 
had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying;  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and 
gather  the  clusters  of  the  vineyard  of  the  earth;  because  the 
grapes  thereof  are  ripe.  p.  321, 

19.  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sharp  sickle  into  the  earth, 
and  gathered  the  vineyard  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the 
great  press  of  the  wrath  of  God.  j).  321. 

20.  And  the  press  w^as  trodden  without  the  city,  and  blood 
came  out  of  the  press,  up  to  the  horses'  bridles,  for  a  thousand 
and  six  hundred  furlongs,  jp.  321, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven  great  and  wonderful: 
seven  angels  having  the  seven  last  plagues.  For  in  them  is 
filled  up  the  wrath  of  God.  f.  45. 

2.  And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire, 
and  them  that  had  overcome  the  beast  and  his  image  and  the 
number  of  his  name,  standing  on  the  sea  of  glass,  having  the 
harps  of  God :  p.  45. 

3.  And  singing  the  canticle  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God, 
and  the  canticle  of  the  Lamb,  saying:  Great  and  wonderful 
are  thy  works,  O  Lord  God  Almighty ;  just  and  true  are  thy 
ways,  O  King  of  ages.  p.  45. 

4.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  magnify  thy  name  ? 
For  thou  only  art  holy  !  for  all  nations  shall  come,  and  adore 
in  thy  sight,  because  thy  judgments  are  manifest,  j).  46. 

5.  And  after  these  things  I  looked,  and  behold  the  temple 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was  opened,  p.  47. 

6.  And  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple  having  the 
seven  plagues,  clothed  with  clean  and  white  linen,  and  girt 
about  the  breasts  with  golden  girdles,  p.  47. 

7.  And  one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  gave  to  the  seven 
angels  seven  golden  vials  full  of  the  wrath  of  God  who  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever.  p.  48. 

8.  And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  majesty 
of  God,  and  from  his  power :  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter 
into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels  were 
fulfilled,  p.  48.  - 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  383 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying-  to  the 
seven  angels :  Go,  and  pour  out  the  seven  vials  of  the  w^rath 
of  God  upon  the  earth,  f.  49. 

2.  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
earth,  and  there  fell  a  sore  and  grievous  wound  upon  men, 
who  had  the  character  of  the  beast;  and  upon  them  that 
adored  the  image  thereof  p.  49. 

3.  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea, 
and  there  came  blood  as  it  were  of  a  dead  man ;  and  every 
living  soul  died  in  the  sea.  p.  74. 

4.  And  the  third  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and 
fountains  of  waters ;  and  there  was  made  blood,  p.  88. 

5.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters,  saying:  Thou  art 
just,  O  Lord,  who  art,  and  who  wast,  the  holy  one,  because 
thou  hast  judged  these  things :  p.  88. 

6.  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and 
thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink ;  for  they  are  w^orthy ; 
p,  88. 

7.  And  I  heard  another,  from  the  altar,  saying:  Yea,  O 
Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  just  are  thy  judgments,  p.  88. 

8.  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun, 
and  it  was  given  unto  him  to  afflict  men  with  heat  and  fire : 
p,  132. 

9.  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and  they  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God  who  hath  power  over  these  plagues, 
neither  did  they  penance  to  give  him  glory,  p.  132. 

10.  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  seat 
of  the  beast ;  and  his  kingdom  became  dark,  and  they  gnaw- 
ed their  tongues  from  pain;  p.  183. 

11.  And  they  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven,  because  of 
their  pains,  and  wounds,  and  did  not  penance  for  their  works, 
p.  184. 

12.  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  that  great 
river  Euphrates;  and  dried  up  the  water  thereof,  that  a  way 
might  be  prepared  for  the  kings  from  the  rising  of  the  sun. 
p.  227. 

13.  And  I  saw  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  from  the 
mouth  of  the  beast,  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet, 
three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs,  p.  273. 

14.  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils  working  signs,  and 


384  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

they  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  whole  earth  to  gather  them 
to  battle  against  the  great  day  of  the  Almighty  God.  p.  273. 

15.  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief;  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see 
his  shame,  p.  308. 

16.  And  he  shall  gather  them  together  unto  a  place  which 
in  Hebrew  is  called  Armagedon.  p.  281. 

17.  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  air, 
and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  from  the  throne, 
saying:   It  is  done.  p.  313. 

18.  And  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunders, 
and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  a  one  as  never  had 
been  seen  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  such  an  earthquake, 
so  great,  p.  313. 

19.  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts;  and 
the  cities  of  the  Gentiles  fell.  And  great  Babylon  came  in 
remembrance  before  God,  to  give  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of 
the  indignation  of  his  wrath,  p.  314. 

20.  And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were 
not  found,  p.  314. 

21.  And  great  hail  like  a  talent  came  down  from  heaven 
upon  men:  and  man  blasphemed  God  for  the  plague  of  the 
hail;  because  it  was  exceeding  great,  p.  314. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels,  who  had  the  se- 
ven vials,  and  spoke  with  me,  saying:  Come,  I  will  show 
thee  the  condemnation  of  the  great  harlot,  who  sitteth  upon 
many  waters,  p.  98. 

2.  With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  for- 
nication :  and  they  who  inhabit  the  earth  have  been  made 
drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  whoredom,  p.  98. 

3.  And  he  took  me  away  in  spirit  into  the  desert.  And  I 
saw  a  woman  sitting  upon  a  scarlet  coloured  beast,  full  of 
names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 
p.  99. 

4.  And  the  woman  was  clothed  round  about  with  purple 
and  scarlet,  and  gilt  with  gold  and  precious  stones  and  pearls, 
having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand,  full  of  the  abomination  and 
fllthiness  of  her  fornication,  p.  99. 

5.  And  on  her  forehead  a  name  was  written :  a  Mystery ; 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  385 

Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  the  fornications,  and  the 
abominations  of  the  earth,  p.  99. 

6.  And  I  saw  a  woman  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the  saints, 
and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus.  And  I  wondered 
when  I  had  seen  her,  with  great  admiration,  p.  99. 

7.  And  the  angel  said  to  me:  Why  dost  thou  wonder?  I 
will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast 
which  carried  her,  which  had  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 
f.  99. 

8.  The  beast,  which  thou  sawest,  was  and  is  not,  and  shall 
come  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  destruction ; 
and  the  inhabitants  on  the  earth,  whose  names  are  not  written 
in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  shall 
wonder,  seeing  the  beast  that  was  and  is  not.  p.  103. 

9.  And  here  is  the  understanding,  that  hath  wisdom.  The 
seven  heads,  are  seven  mountains,  upon  which  the  woman  sit- 
teth,  and  they  are  seven  kings,  p.  103. 

10.  Five  are  fallen,  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come: 
and  when  he  is  come,  he  must  remain  a  short  time.  p.  103. 

11.  And  the  beast  w^hich  was,  and  is  not;  the  same  also  is 
the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  destruction,  p. 
104. 

12.  And  the  ten  horns,  which  thou  sawest,  are  ten  kings, 
who  have  not  yet  received  kingdom,  but  shall  receive  power 
as  kings  one  hour  after  the  beast,  p.  105. 

13.  These  have  one  design  ;  and  their  strength  and  power 
they  shall  deliver  to  the  beast,  p.  105. 

14.  These  shall  fight  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall 
overcome  them,  because  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of 
kings,  and  they  that  are  with  him  are  called,  and  elect,  and 
faithful,  p.  105. 

15.  And  he  said  to  me;  The  waters,  which  thou  sawest, 
where  the  harlot  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues. 
p.  100. 

16.  And  the  ten  horns,  which  thou  sawest  on  the  beast; 
these  shall  hate  the  harlot,  and  shall  make  her  desolate  and 
naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  shall  burn  her  with  fire. 
p.  103. 

17.  For  God  hath  given  into  their  hearts,  to  do  that  which 
pleaseth  him;  that  they  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast  till 
the  words  of  God  be  fulfilled,  p.  107. 

18.  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest,  is  the  great  city, 
which  hath  kingdom  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  p.  99. 

33 


JJ86  THE  APOCALVPSB. 


CHAPTER  XVIIl. 


And  after  these  things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down 
from  heaven,  having  great  power ;  and  the  earth  was  enlight- 
ened with  his  glory,  p.  108. 

2.  And  he  cried  out  with  a  strong  voice,  saying :  Babylon 
the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of 
devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit,  and  the  hold  of 
every  unclean  and  hateful  bird:  p.  108. 

3.  Because  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication  ;  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication  with  her;  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth  have 
been  made  rich  by  the  power  of  her  delicacies,  p.  109. 

4.  And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying:  Go 
out  from  her,  my  people :  that  you  be  not  partakers  of  her 
sins,  and  that  you  receive  not  of  her  plagues,  p.  110, 

5.  For  her  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  the  Lord 
hath  remembered  her  iniquities.  ^.110. 

6.  Render  to  her  as  she  hath  also  rendered  to  you ;  and 
double  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works;  in  the  cup, 
wherein  she  hath  mingled,  mingle  ye  double  unto  her.  p.  110. 

7.  As  much  as  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and  lived  in  deli- 
cacies, so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  ye  to  her;  p.  110, 
because  she  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow, 
and  sorrow  I  shall  not  see.  p.  111. 

8.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and 
mourning,  and  famine,  and  she  shall  be  burnt  with  fire;  be- 
cause God  is  strong  who  shall  judge  her.  p.  111. 

9.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  committed  forni- 
cation, and  lived  in  delicacies  with  her,  shall  weep,  and  be- 
wail themselves  over  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of 
her  burning,  p.  111. 

10.  Standing  aflir  off  for  fear  of  her  torments,  saying: 
Alas  !  alas  !  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city :  for  in 
one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come.  ^.112. 

1 1.  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep,  and  mourn 
over  her ;  for  no  man  shall  buy  their  merchandise  any  more : 
p.  112. 

12.  Merchandise  of  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones; 
and  of  pearls  and  fine  linen  and  purple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet, 
and  all  thyine-wood,  and  all  manner  of  vessels  of  ivory,  and 
all  manner  of  vessels  of  precious  stones,  and  of  brass,  and  of 
iron,  and  of  marble,  p.  112. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  387 

13.  And  cinnamon,  and  odours,  and  ointment,  and  frank- 
incense, and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and 
beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves,  and 
souls  of  men.  p.  112. 

14.  And  the  fruits  of  the  desire  of  thy  soul  are  departed 
from  thee,  and  all  fat  and  goodly  things,  are  perished  from 
thee,  and  they  shall  find  them  no  more  at  all.  p.  112. 

15.  The  merchants  of  these  things,  who  were  made  rich, 
shall  stand  afar  off  from  her  for  fear  of  her  torments,  weep- 
ing and  mourning,  p.  112. 

16.  And  saying;  Alas!  alas!  that  great  city,  which  was 
clothed  with  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  was  gilt 
with  gold  and  precious  stones  and  pearls;  p.  112. 

17.  For  in  one  hour  are  so  great  riches  come  to  nought; 
p.  112,  and  every  ship-master,  and  all  that  sail  into  the  lake, 
and  mariners,  and  as  many  as  work  in  the  sea,  stood  afar  off 
p.  113. 

18.  And  cried,  seeing  the  place  of  her  burning,  saying ; 
AVhat  city  is  like  to  this  great  city?  p.  113. 

19.  And  they  cast  dust  upon  their  heads,  and  cried,  weep- 
ing and  mourning,  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  wherein 
all  were  made  rich,  that  had  ships  at  sea,  by  reason  of  her 
prices;  for  in  one  hour  she  is  made  desolate,  p.  113. 

20.  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles 
and  prophets :  for  God  hath  judged  your  judgment  on  her. 
p.  113. 

21.  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  as  it  were  a  great 
millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  With  such  violence 
as  this  shall  Babylon,  that  great  city,  be  thrown  down,  and 
shall  be  found  no  more  at  all.  p.  293. 

22.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  of  musicians,  and  of 
them  that  play  on  the  pipe  and  the  trumpet,  shall  no  more  be 
found  in  thee;  and  no  craftsman  of  any  art  whatsoever  shall 
be  found  any  more  at  all  in  thee ;  and  the  sound  of  the  mill 
shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  p.  293. 

23.  And  the  light  of  the  lamp  shall  shine  no  more  at  all 
in  thee ;  and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride  shall 
be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  for  thy  merchants  were  the 
great  men  of  the  earth,  for  all  nations  have  been  deceived  by 
thy  enchantments,  p.  293. 

24.  And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of 
saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth,  p.  294. 


388  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

After  these  things  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  much 
people  in  heaven,  saying,  Alleluia.  Salvation  and  glory  and 
power  is  to  our  God:  /?.  114. 

2.  For  true  and  just  are  his  judg-ments,  who  hath  judged 
the  great  harlot,  which  corrupteth  the  earth  with  her  fornica- 
tion, and  hath  revenged  the  blood  of  his  servants,  at  her  hands. 
J).  114. 

3.  And  again  they  said  ;  Alleluia.  And  her  smoke  ascend- 
eth  for  ever  and  ever.  p.  114. 

4.  And  the  four  and  twenty  ancients,  and  the  four  living 
creatures,  fell  down  and  adored  God  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  saying.  Amen.     Alleluia,  y.  114. 

5.  And  a  voice  came  out  from  the  throne,  saying;  Give 
praise  to  our  God,  all  ye  his  servants;  and  you  that  fear  him, 
little  and  great,  f.  114. 

6.  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude, 
and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  great 
thunders,  saying.  Alleluia  :  for  the  Lord  our  God  the  Almighty 
hath  reigned,  f.  294. 

7.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  glory  to  him  ;  for 
the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  prepared 
herself  p.  323. 

8.  And  it  is  granted  to  her  that  she  should  clothe  herself 
with  fine  linen  glittering  and  while.  For  the  fine  linen  are 
the  justifications  of  saints,  'p.  323. 

9.  And  he  said  to  me;  Write,  Blessed  are  they  that  are 
called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  sailh  to 
me ;   These  words  of  God  are  true.  p.  324. 

10.  And  I  fell  down  before  his  feet,  to  adore  him.  And  he 
saith  to  me:  See  thou  do  it  not;  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and 
of  thy  brethren  who  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus.  Adore  God, 
For  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  f.  324. 

11.  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  beheld  a  white  horse; 
and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  was  called  faithful  and  true,  and 
with  justice  doth  he  judge  and  fight,  p.  284. 

12.  And  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head 
were  many  diadems,  and  he  had  a  name  written,  which  no 
man  knoweth  but  himself  p.  284. 

13.  And  he  was  clothed  with  a  garment  sprinkled  with 
blood;  and  his  name  is  called,  The  word  of  God.  p.  284. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  389 

14.  And  the  armies  that  are  in  heaven  followed  him  on 
white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen  white  and  clean,  p.  285. 

15.  And  out  of  his  mouth  proceeded  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword  ;  that  with  it  he  may  strike  the  nations.  And  he  shall 
rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press 
of  the  fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  God  the  Almighty,  p.  285. 

16.  And  he  hath  on  his  garment  and  on  his  thigh  written, 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  p.  285. 

17.  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun,  and  he  cried 
with  a  lo4id  voice,  saying  to  all  the  birds  that  did  fly  through 
the  midst  of  heaven ;  Come,  gather  yourselves  together  to  the 
great  supper  of  God.  p.  285. 

18.  That  you  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of 
tribunes,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses, 
and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  freemen  and 
bondmen,  and  of  little  and  of  great,  p.  286. 

19.  And  I  saw  the  beast  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and 
their  armies  gathered  together  to  make  war  with  him  that  sat 
upon  the  horse,  and  with  his  army.  p.  286. 

20.  And  the  b^ast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  pro- 
phet, who  wrought  signs  before  him,  wherewith  he  seduced 
them  who  received  the  character  of  the  beast,  and  who  adored 
his  image.  These  two  were  cast  alive  into  the  pool  of  fire 
burning  with  brimstone,  p.  286. 

21 .  And  the  rest  were  slain  by  the  sword  of  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  horse,  which  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth :  and  all 
the  birds  were  filled  with  their  flesh,  p.  287. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

And  I  saw  an  angel  coming  dowm  from  heaven,  having 
the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand, 
p.  68. 

2.  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  the  old  serpent,  which  is 
the  devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  for  a  thousand  years,  p.  68. 

3.  And  he  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him 
up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him,  that  he  should  no  more  seduce 
the  nations,  till  the  thousand  years  be  finished.  And  after  that 
he  must  be  loosed  a  little  time.  p.  68. 

4.  And  I  saw  seats  ;  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment 
was  given  unto  them,  and  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God,  and  who 

33* 


390  THE   APOCALYPSE. 

had  not  adored  the  beast  nor  his  image,  nor  received  his  cha- 
racter on  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands,  and  they  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years,  f.  69. 

5.  And  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not,  till  the  thousand  years 
were  finished.     This  is  the  first  resurrection,  p.  69. 

6.  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resur- 
rection. In  these  the  second  death  hath  no  power :  but  they 
shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ ;  and  shall  reign  with 
him  a  thousand  years,  p.  70. 

7.  And  when  the  thousand  years  shall  be  finished,  Satan 
shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  and  shall  go  forth  and  se- 
duce the  nations,  which  are  over  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth, 
p.  229,  Gog,  and  Magog,  and  shall  gather  them  together  to 
battle,  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea.  p.  299. 

8.  And  they  came  upon  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and  en- 
compassed the  camp  of  the  saints,  and  the  beloved  city.  p.  300. 

9.  And  there  came  down  fire  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and 
devoured  them,  p.  302,  and  the  devil,  who  seduced,  was  cast 
into  the  pool  of  fire  and  brimstone,  p.  305. 

10.  Where  both  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  shall  be 
tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever.  p.  305. 

1 1.  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  one  sitting  upon 
it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and  heaven  fled  away,  and  there 
was  no  place  found  for  them.  p.  317. 

12.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  great  and  small,  standing  in  the 
presence  of  the  throne,  and  the  books  were  opened:  and  an- 
other book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life;  and  the 
dead  were  judged  by  those  things  which  were  written  in  the 
books,  according  to  their  works,  p.  317. 

13.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  that  were  in  it;  and 
death  and  hell  gave  up  their  dead  that  were  in  them :  and 
they  were  judged  every  one  according  to  their,  works,  p.  318. 

14.  And  hell  and  death  were  cast  into  the  pool  of  fire.  This 
is  the  second  death,  p.  320. 

15.  And  w^hosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 
life,  was  cast  into  the  pool  of  fire.  p.  321. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.  For  the  first 
heaven  and  the  first  earth  was  gone,  and  the  sea  is  now  no 
more.  p.  325. 


THE  APOCALYPSE.  391 

2.  And  I  John  saw  the  holy  city  the  new  Jerusalem  coming- 
down  out  of  heaven,  from  God,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned 
for  her  husband.  /;.  327. 

3.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  from  the  throne,  saying,  Be- 
hold the  tabernacle  of  God  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with 
them.  And  they  shall  be  his  people ;  and  God  himself  with 
them  shall  be  their  God.  p.  327. 

4.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and 
death  shall  be  no  more,  nor  mourning,  nor  crying,  nor  sor- 
row shall  be  any  more,  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away. 
p.  327. 

5.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  throne,  said :  Behold,  I  make  all 
things  new.  j).  328.  And  he  said  to  me:  Write,  for  these 
words  are  most  faithful  and  true.  jp.  329. 

6.  And  he  said  to  me :  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Ome- 
ga; the  beginning  and  the  end.  To  him  that  thirsteth  I  will 
give  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life,  freely,  jp.  329. 

7.  He  that  shall  overcome,  shall  possess  these  things,  and 
I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  p.  329. 

8.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and 
murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters, 
and  all  liars,  they  shall  have  their  portion  in  the  pool  burn- 
ing with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the  second  death,  p. 
329. 

9.  And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels,  who  had  the 
vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  spoke  with  me,  say- 
ing :  Come,  and  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  wife  of  the 
Lamb.  p.  330. 

10.  And  he  took  me  up  in  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  moun- 
tain :  and  he  showed  me  the  holy  city  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  out  of  heaven  from  God.  p.  330. 

11.  Having  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  the  light  thereof  was 
like  to  a  precious  stone,  as  to  the  jasper  stone,  even  as  crys- 
tal, p.  330. 

12.  And  it  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  having  twelve  gates, 
and  in  the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written  thereon, 
which  are  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, p.  330. 

13.  On  the  east,  three  gates ;  and  on  the  north,  three  gates ; 
and  on  the  south,  three  gates ;  and  on  the  west,  three  gates. 
p.  331. 

14.  And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations,  and 
in  them  the  twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb. 
p.  331. 


392  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

15.  And  he  that  spake  with  me,  had  a  measure  of  a  reed, 
of  gold,  to  measure  the  city  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the 
wall.  y.  331. 

16.  And  the  city  lieth  in  a  four  square,  and  the  length 
thereof  is  as  great  as  the  breadth  :  and  he  measured  the  city 
with  a  golden  reed  for  the  twelve  thousand  furlongs ;  and  the 
length,  and  the  height,  and  the  breadth  thereof  are  equal. 
p.  331. 

17.  And  he  n^^asured  the  wall  thereof  a  hundred  forty -four 
cubits,  the  measure  of  a  man  which  is  of  an  angel,  p.  331. 

18.  And  the  building  of  the  wall  thereof  was  of  jasper- 
stone  ;  but  the  city  itself  pure  gold,  like  to  clear  glass,  p. 
332. 

19.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city,  were 
adorned  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones.  The  first  foun- 
dation was  jasper  ;  the  second,  sapphire ;  the  third,  a  chalce- 
dony; the  fourth,  an  emerald,  p.  332. 

20.  The  fifth,  sardonix ;  the  sixth,  sardius ;  the  seventh, 
chrysolite ;  the  eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz ;  the  tenth, 
a  chrysoprasus ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth;  the  twelfth,  an 
amethyst.  ;;.  332. 

21.  And  the  twelve  gates  are  twelve  pearls,  one  to  each; 
and  every  several  gate  was  of  one  several  pearl.  And  the 
street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass. 
p.  332. 

22.  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein.  For  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  is  the  temple  thereof,  and  the  Lamb.  p.  332. 

23.  And  the  city  hath  no  need  of  the  sun,  nor  of  the  moon, 
to  shine  in  it.  For  the  glory  of  God  hath  enlightened  It,  and 
the  Lamb  is  the  lamp  thereof  p.  332. 

24.  And  the  nations  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it ;  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  shall  bring  their  glory  and  honour  into  it. 
p.  333. 

25.  And  the  gates  thereof  shall  not  be  shut  by  day;  for 
there  shall  be  no  night  there,  p.  333. 

26.  And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honour  of  the  na- 
tions into  it.  p.  333. 

27.  There  shall  not  enter  into  it  any  thing  defiled,  or  that 
worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie,  but  they  that  are  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb.  p.  333. 


THE   APOCALYPSE.  393 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


And  he  showed  me  a  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal, 
proceeding  from  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  jp.  334. 

2.  In  the  midst  of  the  street  thereof,  and  on  both  sides  of 
the  river,  was  the  tree  of  life,  bearing-  twelve  fruits,  yielding 
its  fruits  every  month,  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations,  p.  334. 

3  And  there  shall  be  no  curse  any  more ;  but  the  throne 
of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it,  and  his  servants  shall 
serve  him.  p.  334. 

4.  And  they  shall  see  his  face ;  and  his  name  shall  be  on 
their  foreheads,  p.  334. 

5.  And  night  shall  be  no  more ;  and  they  shall  not  need  the 
light  of  the  lamp,  nor  the  light  of  the  sun,  because  the  Lord 
God  shall  enlighten  them,  and  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and 
ever.  p.  335. 

6.  And  he  said  to  me :  These  words  are  most  faithful  and 
true.  And  the  Lord  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets,  sent 
his  angel  to  show  his  servants  the  things  which  must  be  done 
shortly,  p.  335. 

7.  And  behold  I  come  quickly.  Blessed  is  he  that  keepeth 
the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book.  p.  336. 

8.  And  I  John,  who  have  heard,  and  seen  these  things. 
And  after  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  adore  before 
the  feet  of  the  angel,  who  showed  me  these  things,  p.  336. 

9.  And  he  said  to  me.  See  thou  do  it  not :  for  I  am  thy 
fellow  servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and  of  them 
that  keep  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book:  Adore  God, 
p.  336. 

10.  And  he  sailh  to  me :  Seal  not  the  words  of  the  prophecy 
of  this  book :  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  p.  337. 

1 1.  He  that  hurteth,  let  him  hurt  still ;  and  he  that  is  filthy, 
let  him  be  filth}''  still ;  and  he  that  is  just,  let  him  be  justified 
still ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  sanctified  still,  p.  337. 

12.  Behold,  I  come  quickly;  and  my  reward  is  with  me, 
to  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works,  p.  337. 

13.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last,  the  be- 
ginning and  the  end.  p.  337. 

14.  Blessed  are  they,  that  wash  their  robes  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb :  that  they  might  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life, 
and  may  enter  in  by  the  gates  into  the  city.  p.  337. 


394  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

15.  Without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  unchaste,  and 
murderers,  and  servers  of  idols,  and  every  one  that  loveth  and 
maketh  a  lie.  p.  338.  • 

16.  I  Jesus  have  sent  my  angel  to  testify  to  you  these  things 
in  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  stock  of  David,  the  bright 
and  morning  star.  p.  338. 

17.  And  the  spirit  and  the  bride  say ;  Come.  And  he  that 
heareth,  let  him  say,  Come.  And  he  that  thirsteth,  let  him 
come ;  and  he  that  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely. 
p.  338. 

18.  For  I  testify  to  every  one  that  heareth  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  of  tliis  book.  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things 
God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  written  in  this  book,  p 
339. 

19.  And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  the 
book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and  firom  these  things 
that  are  written  in  this  book.  p.  339. 

20.  He  that  giveth  testimony  of  these  things  saith ;  Surely, 
I  come  quickly.     Amen.     Come,  Lord  Jesus,  p.  339. 

21.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all, 
Amen.  p.  361. 


THE  END. 


CONTENTS. 


Pago 

The  Editor  to  the  Public 3 

The  Introduction 7 

Chap.  I. — Explication  of  the  first  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse 15 

Chap  II. — The  History  of  the  first  Age  of  the  Christian  Church  23 

Prelude  to  the  opening  of  the  seven  Seals 23 

The  opening  of  the  first  Seal 31 

Prelude  to  the  sounding  of  the  seven  Trumpets 34 

The  sounding  of  the  first  Trumpet 3G 

Prelude  to  the  pouring  out  of  the  seven  Vials  of  the  Wrath  of 

God 45 

The  pouring  out  of  the  first  Vial 49 

Chap.  III. — A  further  Account  of  the  first  Age  of  the  Christian 

Church 58 

Chap.  IV. — The   History  of  the  second   Age  of  the   Christian 

Church 72 

The  opening  of  the  second  Seal 72 

The  sounding  fo  the  second  Trumpet 74 

The  pouring  out  of  the  second  Vial 74 

The  Explication  of  the  second  Seal,  second  Trumpet,  and  se- 
cond Vial,  illustrated  by  history 75 

Chap.  V. — The  History  of  the  third  Age  of  the  Christian  Church  85 

The  opening  of  the  third  Seal 85 

The  sounding  of  the  third  Trumpet 86 

The  pouring  out  of  the  third  Vial 88 

The  Explication  of  the  third  Seal,  third  Trumpet,  and  the  third 

Vial,  illustrated  by  history 89 

Chap.  VI.— A  further  Account  of  the  third  Age  of  the  Christian 

Church 98 

Chap.  VII.— The  History  of  the  fourth  Age  of  the  Christian 

Church 116 

The  opening  of  the  fourth  Seal 1 16 

The  Explication  of  the  fourth  Seal  illustrated  by  history 118 

The  sounding  of  the  fourth  Trumpet 125 

The  Explication  of  the  fourth  Trumpet  illustrated  by  history  126 

The  pouring  out  of  the  fourth  Vial 132 


^9^  CONTENTS. 

Chap.  VIII.-The  History  of  the  fifth  Age  of  the  Christian  "^^ 

^,  ^^"''^^ 135 

The  opening  of  the  fifth  Seal I35 

The  sounding  of  the  fifth  Trumpet ........[   141 

Chap.  IX.— Continuation  of  the  History  of  the  fifth  Age  of  the 

Christian  Church 2^o 

The  pouring  out  of  the  fifth  Vial '_  *   133 

Chap.  X.— The  History  of  the  sixth  Age  of  the  Christian  Church  186 

The  opening  of  the  sixth  Seal 137 

Narrative  preparatory  to  the  prophecy  of  the  sixth  Trumpet. .    194 

The  sounding  of  the  sixth  Trumpet 226 

The  pouring  out  of  the  sixth  Vial 227 

Chap.  XL— Continuation  of  the  History  of  the  sixth  Age  of  the 

Christian  Church 253 

Chap.  XII.— Continuation  of  the  History  of  the  sixth  Age  of  the 

Christian  Church 291 

Chap.  XIII.— The  History  of  the  seventh  Age  of  the  Christian 

Church 01 1 

The  opening  of  the  seventh  Seal 3j2 

The  sounding  of  the  seventh  Trumpet 3H 

The  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  Vial 313 

Chap.  XIV. — Conclusion  of  the  Apocalypse 335 

Chap.  XV.— Reflections  on  the  seven  Ages  of  the  Christian 

Church 3^-^ 

The  text  of  the  Apocalypse 3^2 


'^:.^4f^.' ^'1-^^^^^ 

i 

DATE  DUE 

m- 

_-u  ""rirj 

mmm 

...S£B--»irj 

u^ 

^'efe^cfc^-aSifJife^ 

mti^^ 

0|fe^^^«^ 

r 

tt 

CAVLORO 

PNINTBOIMU    S   A             ! 

Ego  infra-scriptus,  Pi-cBses  Col- 
legii  S^'E  Marijc  Baltimorensis, 
in  Foederatio  Americas  Statibus, 
tester        ingenuum        adolescentem 


pra;mium  obtinuisse,  anno  Reparata; 
Salutis   184i^,  die  vei'o   Julii  /; 


